Progressive and internationalist Labour policy – this is what I’ll be looking for from our Defence review

As a party, the safety and security of the British people must always be our first priority. And we should be in no doubt about the scale and diversity of the challenges we face.

From Crimea to the Levant to the Mediterranean, the past five years have been marked by conflict, state fragmentation, religious extremism and mass migration. This week’s attacks in Jakarta, Istanbul and Baghdad remind us of the threat posed by terrorism to peoples around the world.

Meanwhile, countries are grappling with new and emerging drivers of conflict and displacement – whether climate change, resource scarcity, inequality or infectious diseases – whilst at the same time a number of international institutions have been found wanting.

With this ever-changing range of security threats, and at a time when global economic and political power is in flux, it is right that we ask fundamental questions about our defence and security policy. We must seek to learn lessons from the recent past, and do our best to anticipate and equip ourselves for some of the threats we might face.

Labour’s Defence Policy Review, which I am pleased to be launching today, marks the beginning of a dialogue about how best to shape a defence policy which provides 21st century solutions to 21st century problems.

The terms of reference for this review include key questions for discussion and calls for submissions. Submissions will be fed into the National Policy Forum’s International Policy Commission, which will in time report to Labour’s Annual Conference.

Keeping Britain safe whilst promoting international peace and security requires a defence policy which is strategic, informed by expert opinion and supported by a strong evidence base. We will therefore avoid making the same mistakes as the Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review, which was widely criticised for its woefully inadequate consultation.

We want to seek the widest possible range of views, spanning Labour Party members, supporters, trade unions, academics, think tanks, industry representatives, NGOs, parliamentarians, the public and, of course, members of the armed forces themselves. Since there are 13 million people with connections to the UK’s armed forces, we must draw on their expertise and experience.

The terms of reference published today set out the central themes of our review. The questions it asks can only be properly addressed through a process of genuine consultation and dialogue. So we will be organising a series of meetings, seminars, online debates and discussions where we will welcome all views. Written contributions can be made online at www.yourbritain.org.uk/defencereview.  

This review will proceed in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust. I look forward to hearing and reading your thoughts, and together shaping a modern, progressive and internationalist Labour defence policy that is fit for the challenges both of today and of the future.

Emily Thornberry is the Shadow Defence Secretary