‘Labour must lead a national conversation on defence, resilience and regional growth’

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets out a clear warning: the UK is facing a wider and more complex set of threats than at any point in recent decades. Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure, attempts to interfere with subsea cables, hostile activity in space, biological risks, and growing pressures on food and energy security all feature prominently. Yet despite the seriousness of these challenges, the national debate has not kept pace with the reality described in the SDR.

Recent public commentary from former NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson has sharpened this point. He has argued that the UK is under-investing in defence at a time of rising global instability, and that slow decision-making and outdated procurement systems are leaving the country exposed. His critique reflects a broader concern that the UK risks falling behind allies who are moving faster to modernise their capabilities.

If the UK is to meet the threats identified in the SDR, we need a more open and honest national conversation about what those threats are and what capabilities are required to respond. Without a shared understanding of the risks, it will be difficult to build the political and public support needed for long-term investment.

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A major barrier to progress is the way defence procurement currently operates. Traditional models are slow, rigid, and too focused on equipment rather than outcomes. The SDR calls for a shift towards more agile, capability-driven approaches, but this will require cultural as well as structural change. The forthcoming Defence Investment Plan has become a story in its own right, with debates about its publication overshadowing the threats it is meant to address. This is a tactical challenge; assuming that the DIP will have all the answers to everyone’s questions is an impossibility. A static document, produced at a point in time, cannot deliver the dynamic, real-time responses that modern security challenges demand.

There is also a significant economic opportunity that is not yet being fully realised. Defence and resilience could be powerful drivers of regional growth, but only seven of the fourteen Mayoral Combined Authorities currently identify defence as an economic priority in their Local Growth Plan. This represents a major gap. Defence spending—if better targeted—could be one of the largest injections of growth funding into regions, supporting advanced manufacturing, cyber, AI, and green technologies.

However, the Ministry of Defence does not appear to have the internal capacity to engage effectively with regional economic development. SMEs, universities, and skills providers often struggle to navigate complex national systems, and many feel uncertain about whether government will back innovation. A clearer, more confident industrial strategy for defence could unlock substantial private-sector investment and create high-quality jobs across the country.

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Strengthening national and local resilience must also be part of this agenda. The forthcoming review of Local Resilience Forums, in light of Labour’s decision to scrap Police and Crime Commissioners, offers an opportunity to embed a whole-society approach, bringing together local government, emergency services, businesses, and civic institutions. Resilience should not be seen as a cost but as an investment in national security and economic stability.

For Labour, there is a particular challenge in framing this debate. Many members and supporters are sceptical about defence issues, often for understandable historical reasons. But the threats described in the SDR are not abstract. They are already shaping the world in which we live and work. The task is to articulate the case for investment in a way that connects with Labour values: protecting communities, creating good jobs, strengthening national resilience, and ensuring the UK can stand confidently on the world stage.

International comparisons offer useful lessons. Canada’s regional defence clusters show how local economies can be transformed through long-term partnerships between government, industry, and universities. Poland’s rapid scaling of capabilities demonstrates what can be achieved when urgency drives innovation. Finland’s whole-society resilience model shows how civic institutions can be mobilised to protect national security.

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The UK can learn from these examples—but only if it is willing to confront the scale of the challenge. A more agile procurement system, a clearer defence industrial strategy, stronger regional partnerships, and a more confident approach to resilience will all be essential. Above all, the country needs a national conversation that starts with the truth: the threats are real, they are growing, and the cost of inaction will be far greater than the cost of investment.