UK must be ready to confront 'deadly quartet' of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, warns defence review chief

16 July 2024, 08:29

The UK must be able to confront the "deadly quartet" of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, new defence review chief Lord Robertson has warned.

Lord Robertson, who is also a former Nato chief, said Britain’s Armed Forces must be modernised so they are ready to face the quartet of enemy countries.

The ex-defence secretary said “the world has changed out of all recognition” since he was last in government - with China, Russia, Iran and North Korea becoming increasing threats.

It comes as PM Keir Starmer said that the UK is in a "more dangerous and volatile world" than before, adding that he would make sure that the armed forces were "bolstered and respected".

Lord Robertson said he and his team would aim to provide "fresh thinking" they set out the "threats and challenges" the nation faces.

The team will also include Fiona Hill, a former adviser to Donald Trump and Russia expert, and Richard Barrons, a former senior general.

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Defence Secretary John Healey said he would "draw on both external military, industrial and foreign policy experts, and those from inside government" for the review.

The government has already refused to commit to a timeframe on when defence spending will be increased to 2.5% of GDP - prompting criticism from the Conservatives, and some former military leaders.

In the latest statement, Sir Keir simply reaffirmed his "serious commitment" to reaching the figure.

He said: "We live in a more dangerous and volatile world. My government will forge a new clear-eyed approach to our national defences, equipping us to tackle international threats head-on while keeping the British people safe and secure.

"I promised the British people I would deliver the change needed to take our country forward, and I promised action not words. That’s why one of my first acts since taking office is to launch our Strategic Defence Review.

"We will make sure our hollowed out armed forces are bolstered and respected, that defence spending is responsibly increased, and that our country has the capabilities needed to ensure the UK’s resilience for the long term."

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Labour has been accused of "playing with fire" by former military leaders for delaying spending decisions.

Philip Ingram, a former colonel in British military intelligence, told the Times last week that the "threat is now and it will take years to fix the army, our ammunition stocks, get the RAF and navy ready."

And James Cartlidge, the Tories' shadow Defence Secretary, said making a "clear commitment" on the timeframe for increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP was "vital for our national security".

He wrote to his government counterpart Mr Healey to say: "Our armed forces need the certainty and clarity on their funding in order to plan and prepare for the future."It is necessary to prepare everything from accommodation and benefits for service personnel to ensuring that they are equipped with the latest capabilities, equipment and technology."

The Conservatives claimed ahead of the election that Labour could not be trusted with the armed forces, a charge that Sir Keir Starmer's party disputed.

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And armed forces minister Luke Pollard defended the decision to delay the spending increase, saying that money had not always been spent wisely.

He told LBC's Nick Ferrari last week: "We need to conduct that defence review, not just looking at the headline spend, how much we're spending on defence, but importantly, what we're spending on and how we're spending it - because the Ministry of Defence in the past hasn't always spent money as well as they should be.

"And we want to direct more of that money to our frontline forces, and importantly, to British industry, so the money that we're spending to keep our country safe is supporting jobs in our nations and regions of the UK."