‘Security in the 21st century means more than just defence’

It has become something of a euphemism to say that the world, of late, “has changed”. As an MP, I am constantly reminded about the myriad ways in which the new realities of the 21st century continues to slip through our fingers. Yet we cannot get bored of hearing it, if we have not done something about it first. 

Indeed, the world has changed profoundly since the end of the Cold War, yet too often our idea of security remains anchored in an earlier era. When we speak of ‘security’, the instinctive response is still ‘defence’: more tanks, more personnel, more spending. Military strength remains indispensable: this Government has committed to increasing the defence budget to 2.5% GDP in the next two years, and aims for three percent in the next Parliament. But this alone is no longer sufficient.

The upending of the international order is something we must reckon with; every dimension of our security is being shaped by it. In an age of porous borders, instant financial flows and weaponised technologies, the defence of the realm extends far beyond the outline of our island nation.

Crime networks launder money in the UK using cryptocurrency to fund Russia’s war in Ukraine, they exploit vulnerable people to profit from human trafficking, and they use AI to conduct industrial-scale fraud against individuals. These activities are not peripheral irritants. They drain our economy, corrode trust in democratic institutions, and create vulnerabilities that hostile states are willing to exploit.

Serious and organised crime is now a defining national security challenge, and one that strikes directly at the heart of this Government’s missions to grow our economy and make our streets safer. But again, slogans like ‘smash the gangs’ alone are no longer sufficient.

READ MORE: ‘Ukraine is Europe’s frontier – and Labour must stay resolute in its defence’

‘Resilience of institutions must be treated as a strategic priority’

Addressing this complex reality requires a clear-eyed assessment of the world as it is, coupled with a determination to shape it in our interests. Prosperity must be security-led. The resilience of our democratic institutions, technological infrastructure and financial architecture must be treated as a strategic priority.

Resilience, however, is not an abstract aspiration. It demands that we reconsider where our borders truly lie. Geopolitics are creating new fault lines within every aspect of security, including serious and organised crime, and criminal gangs are harnessing new technologies to globalise, expand their activities, and hide from the law. Therefore, to truly move beyond political symbolism, this Government’s security policy must operate upstream, internationally and in partnership.

I see the value of that partnership first-hand through my work with the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Labour came to government committed to resetting and deepening our relationships with European partners, and multilateral bodies like the Council of Europe are central to making that reset meaningful in practice. When it comes to serious and organised crime – which respects no borders and exploits every gap between jurisdictions – that renewed engagement is not diplomatic courtesy; it is a security necessity.

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‘Prevention is more effective and economical than reaction’

A new report by the Coalition for Global Prosperity sets out a framework for action. It recognises that tackling serious and organised crime is not solely a law enforcement task, but a strategic endeavour that must mobilise the full spectrum of statecraft: development policy to reduce the conditions in which organised crime thrives; diplomatic and sanctions regimes to protect the integrity of our financial system; and deep intelligence cooperation to close the gaps that criminals exploit.

Most importantly, we need to remember that prevention is more effective, and more economical, than reaction. By integrating serious and organised crime into our broader national security architecture, we strengthen the foundations of the prosperity and safer communities that this Government is determined to deliver.

In increasingly volatile times, we cannot rely on the certainties of the old international order. We must be proactive in sustaining strong partnerships and forging new ones. Our security and prosperity now demand it.

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