Radical reform needed at the MoD

In a major speech this morning, Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox set out how a Conservative Government will reform the Ministry of Defence.

He also spoke about the importance of our mission in Afghanistan. "Failure in Afghanistan would have profound geopolitical implications", he said.

"The damage to the cohesion, confidence and credibility of NATO would be immense and it would provide a shot in the arm for jihadists worldwide".

Fox outlined three key priorities for the next Conservative Government:

"First, launch a wide ranging and detailed strategic defence review.

Secondly, we will simultaneously conduct a capabilities review. There are questions for all three services as to whether they have an over abundance of senior posts. How do we stop the trend where the military seems consistently to shrink while the civil service keeps growing?

And finally, we will perform a root and branch reform of the procurement process. Reforming the procurement process will be no easy task. In fact, it will probably prove to be the greatest challenge in terms of increasing the efficiency of the MoD. All options for reform, no matter how radical, are on the table. "

He added that the MoD needed "new vision, fresh thinking, and new leadership" that only a new Government can provide. "Increasingly the public are wakening up to the sorry state of defence under Labour. It is likely to be an election issue for the first time since the end of the Cold War."

Trident replacement pause is 'excellent news' says CND

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament warmly welcomed the suggestion that the Government is to delay the 'Initial Gate' decision on replacing the Trident nuclear weapons submarines, pending the outcome of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in May 2010. Previously, the Government planned to move on to the next stage of the replacement process during the Parliamentary recess in September.

Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said:
"This delay is excellent news. We hope the Government will not only make a major contribution to advancing plans for global disarmament at the forthcoming international talks, but also use this pause to reconsider Britain's possession of nuclear weapons. Given the worsening economic climate, defence cuts will be necessary, but scrapping Trident would be positively beneficial to reducing global tensions.

"The current defence review and the Strategic Defence Review to be held after the next election are excellent opportunities to conclude that the challenges of the coming century cannot be met by costly Cold War weapons systems like Trident. We hope Ministers are brave enough to share the conclusion of the Generals who recently described Trident as 'militarily useless'.

"We hope this is the first sign that the Government is really prepared to respond to the changed mood not just from leaders like President Obama, but also from the British public. Recent polls show a majority oppose the UK's continued possession of nuclear weapons. This will be a vote winner for whichever party chooses to free itself - and Britain - from the dogma of the past. We are a world away from the tense world of the 1980s - the public recognises this, but now politics needs to catch up."

Earlier today over 30 MPs wrote to the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary demanding exactly such a delay to the Initial Gate. They called for Parliament to have further discussions on Trident replacement before such a major spending commitment is given. CND believes that it is essential that such a debate takes place before the next stage of the project commences, whenever that occurs.

The Initial Gate decision, which would allow detailed design work to commence, is estimated to commit £2-3bn. The procurement costs for the new submarines are likely to be in the order of £25bn, with total costs of £76bn for the project when running costs are included.

Majority want Britain to abandon nuclear weapons

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament welcomed today's Guardian/ICM poll showing that a majority of Britons, 54%, want the country to rid itself of nuclear weapons [note 3]. Only 42% favour the replacement of Trident with a new generation of nuclear weapons. Significantly, the results were achieved from a question that did not mention the potential costs of the system, suggesting the growing acceptance that the UK does not need nuclear weapons goes beyond objection to the costs of any one development.

Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said "Public opinion has decisively shifted towards opposing the UK's retention of nuclear weapons - now we need politicians to catch up. The majority who want Britain to go nuke-free will not tolerate parties who plan to squander £76bn on replacing Trident. But the flip-side is also true: those offering a defence policy relevant to the real threats of the future and who will redirect the billions planned for Trident into more useful programmes will reap the rewards at the ballot box. The results also show that people are rejecting the need for such city-destroying weapons entirely - plans for 'Trident-lite' or cheaper, less capable nuclear weapons systems will not be a draw to these voters. To ignore such a major shift in British public opinion is foolhardy. It smacks of a head-in-the-sand approach - an unwillingness to recognise that things change, and that policies have to change too.

"The question of whether to commit billions to new nuclear weapons is also an urgent one - the onus is now on the government to explain why it intends to push ahead with the next stage of Trident replacement in September during parliamentary recess without any debate or scrutiny from MPs. The Foreign Affairs Committee and 160 MPs have called for just such a debate yet the Government seems to want to carry on as though nothing has changed - no recession, no Obama disarmament drive, no shift in public opinion. This has to change before they commit another £2bn to Trident in the next few months. [Notes 4, 5, 6]

"The poll also highlights the need for the upcoming Defence Review to give full consideration to cancelling Britain's ruinously expensive nuclear programme. It is ludicrous that the MoD have defined Trident as a "sacred cow" exempt from review, when culling this white elephant would end its huge distortion of defence spending and allow a focus on more immediate life-saving priorities. With President Obama acknowledging that disarmament by established nuclear powers is the best way to combat the spread of these terrible weapons, the urgent necessity for nuclear disarmament is staring us in the face. Most people have recognised that. The truly shocking fact is that our government - ostrich-like - won't even enter into a discussion on the subject."

POLL SHOWS TIDE HAS TURNED ON TRIDENT RENEWAL

A new poll which shows the majority of people across the UK oppose replacing the Trident nuclear weapons system has been welcomed by the SNP. The ICM poll today (Tuesday) adds to growing opposition to the renewal of Trident.

The SNP has consistently opposed the presence of nuclear weapons on Scotland 's shores and has condemned UK Government plans to replace Trident. The Scottish Parliament, a majority of Scottish MPs and the Scottish Government are all opposed to current plans to replace Trident with new nuclear weapons.

Trident renewal must not be excluded from the Strategic Defence Review and further spending on the project should be ruled out pending the planned assessment of defence needs and the 30-nation nuclear non-proliferation summit scheduled in Washington next March.

SNP Westminster leader and Defence spokesperson Angus Robertson MP said:

“The tide has turned on Trident, and Gordon Brown is going to have to accept that the renewal of this nuclear system is untenable.

“Any way you look at it - on moral, economic or political grounds - time is up for Trident.

“People struggle to understand, at a time when budgets are tight across the armed forces and Scotland faces a £500 million budget cut from London , why the UK Government is ploughing billions of pounds into a new generation of unwanted and unnecessary nuclear weapons.

“Ministers have announced a strategic defence review, and it is not credible to exclude a debate on the Trident replacement programme from that audit. It is totally untenable for Gordon Brown to exclude Trident from the Strategic Defence Review as some sacred cow.

“In the last week we have seen an agreement on nuclear disarmament between the United State and Russia and the announcement of a non-proliferation summit next March. For all these reasons the Prime Minister must rule out further decisions and spending commitments on the renewal of Trident due to be signed off by Ministers in the coming months.

“Civil society, trade unions, religious organisations the Scottish Government, are working together to keep a new generation of Trident missiles out of our waters – even military leaders openly question the affordability and rationale of these weapons, and this poll shows that the tide has well and truly turned.”

Don't pre-empt disarmament talks with Trident replacement, says CND

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has welcomed Gordon Brown's comments in support of multilateral nuclear disarmament, made at the G8 summit. But CND cautioned that continuing with Trident replacement was already placing a costly obstacle in the way of achieving the aspirations shared by Mr Brown, President Obama, and other world leaders. CND reiterated the growing call for Trident to be included in the upcoming Defence Review.

Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said "We welcome the many positive developments on reducing nuclear tensions that have been sparked by Obama's meeting with Medvedev. Mr Brown's comments form part of this, but the real test is whether he is prepared to take the steps necessary to ensure Britain's pursuit of Trident replacement doesn't end up damaging the chances of a multilateral deal.

"These next twelve months could be a real turning point for disarmament and non-proliferation, with Obama's Washington summit in March and the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference a month later. In this context it seems perverse that the Government has specifically excluded Trident from its upcoming Defence Review. Voices from across the political spectrum have called for an urgent reassessment of the decision to plough ahead with the £76bn Trident Replacement, not only as budgets come under increasing strain but also given the global push towards full nuclear abolition. CND agrees with the senior armed-forces figures who described Trident as 'militarily useless'. At the very least the Review should be questioning the maintenance of Britain's Cold War posture: we have a nuclear-armed submarine on patrol and ready to fire 365 days a year, regardless of international tensions. It is a disgrace that Gordon Brown is set to release billions for new submarines during the Parliamentary recess this September, against the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs Committee and 160 back-benchers [notes 3 and 4], whilst at the same time ignoring the chance to review the need for the system.

"The Prime Minister is also mistaken when he says 'the whole point of the Non-Proliferation Treaty is that those people who have weapons will be willing to reduce them as far as is possible' - the UK's binding legal commitment under article VI of the NPT is to undertake complete nuclear disarmament, not merely reductions to a lower level [see note 5]. If Britain is serious about convincing Iran and others to buy-in to the NPT, we must not make false claims about our own end of the bargain. Iran has already cited Trident replacement as a major point of concern during NPT negotiations [see note 6]. Britain should not allow a hugely expensive relic of the Cold War to become the sticking point which prevents defusing the crisis that could spark the next major conflict. We don't need it, we can't afford it and we can contribute better to a more peaceful world by scrapping it now."

Fox calls for proper review of our defence needs

Liam Fox has attacked Labour’s handling of the defence budget, describing it as “an exercise in irresponsibility and failure of duty”.

The Shadow Defence Secretary said it was “a scandal” that we have not had a Strategic Defence Review since 1998.

He stressed, “As a consequence, our troops struggle with inadequate numbers of helicopters and armoured vehicles in Afghanistan. We are short of infantry and Special Forces. Our soldiers have endured the slight of a part-time Defence Secretary; now they have a part-time procurement minister and a Secretary of State ranked 21st out of 23 in the Cabinet.”

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Liam criticised Labour for saying they would not hold a Strategic Defence Review until after the next election:

“Not for Labour any difficult decisions which may be unpopular; no chance that voters will be told the consequences of its catastrophic economic management. Even by the standards of New Labour, this is an unparalleled exercise in cynicism, manipulation and cowardice.”

Liam promised a Conservative Government would undertake a proper review of our defence needs – and stressed:

“At the next election, there will be real choice. We can change to the principled realism of the Conservatives, or continue with the discredited cynicism and failure of Labour. It will be a stark choice but, for defence in particular, a crucial one.”

Defence Review must take up Trident, says CND

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament today welcomed the Government's announcement of a review of defence priorities but warned that "without taking decisions on mega-projects like Trident, the review will just be avoiding the huge white elephant in the room". CND will be pressing the Government to ensure that calls for Trident replacement to be scrapped - which have recently come from across the political spectrum and from the upper echelons of the armed forces - are fully examined in the review.

Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said:
"We welcome this review - British defence policy is still mired in Cold War thinking. But this report will be meaningless if it fails to examine the biggest imminent decision in defence policy - that of the £76bn Trident replacement programme. With Gordon Brown set to release billions for the design of new submarines during the Parliamentary recess this September, the need for a review is urgent. But if it does not take decisions on mega-projects like Trident, the review will just be avoiding the huge white elephant in the room. Given the severe economic hardship the country is facing, even those who were once the strongest defenders of nuclear weapons are now questioning whether such expenditure can be justified on a system which senior armed-forces figures have described as 'militarily useless'.

"Scrapping Trident replacement would also boost efforts to combat the spread of nuclear weapons. As President Obama said only yesterday, stopping the spread of nuclear weapons 'starts with the reduction of our own nuclear arsenal' noting that established nuclear powers 'must lead by example'. Britain has an excellent opportunity to seize the moral leadership in this sphere by scrapping Trident replacement and leading other countries into the multilateral disarmament process.

"The defence review should include a full and open ended examination of the merits of scrapping Trident replacement - both in global political terms and the benefits from freeing up resources for other more relevant projects. Some are suggesting that like-for-like replacement is too expensive and that Britain can go for a cheaper option. But we urge the government to pursue full nuclear disarmament. Replacing Trident with other forms of nuclear weapons will not deal with the problems of global proliferation that we ourselves are contributing to by failing to disarm. Britain must contribute fully to President Obama's aim of a world free of nuclear weapons - this review presents an excellent opportunity to pursue this."

The MoD's current schedule will see ministers take a decision on the scope and capabilities of the replacement system (the 'Initial Gate') during the Parliamentary recess this September, when there is no possibility for scrutiny in the Commons. The decision is expected to commit upwards of £2.1bn to the programme. Over 160 MPs have now signed EDM 660 calling for a Parliamentary debate before this decision is taken to proceed to the next stage in the replacement process. The Foreign Affairs Committee also recommended a further Parliamentary debate in its recent report on global security and non-proliferation. To date, the government has refused to allow any debate to take place, even though the decision will come at a sensitive time, just before Labour Party conference.

SNP CALL FOR IMMEDIATE SUSPENSION OF DEFENCE DECISIONS

‘REVIEW A SHAM IF TRIDENT IS SIGNED OFF FIRST’

The Scottish National Party has called on the UK Government to suspend several major defence decisions – including the closure of the Hebrides Range and renewal of the Trident weapons system – after it announced it is undertaking a major strategic defence review.

Commenting, SNP Westminster Leader and Defence Spokesperson Angus Robertson MP said:

“A strategic defence review is necessary to prioritise our defence needs in a changed world, and top of the list for that review must be ditching Trident.

“It will be a sham exercise if the UK Government proceeds to commit billions of pounds to the renewal of the Trident weapons system literally months before a wider examination of the needs of our defence forces.

“The chorus against Trident grows ever louder with former NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson, becoming the latest in a long line of senior defence figures joining calls for the plans to be reconsidered. These views must be heard. We cannot continue to stumble on with these hyper-expensive and ill-considered plans without examining the impact of cutting back expenditure in other areas will have.

“The defence budget must be used to ensure our troops have the necessary equipment to keep them safe and enable them to do their jobs. We should also be investing in long-term assets such as the aircraft carriers which commenced construction on the Clyde today.”

SNP MP for Na H-Eileanan an Iar Angus MacNeil MP added:

“The cut and shut approach of the UK Government is a massive threat to the Western Isles economy. The Ministry of Defence’s decision to wind down the Hebrides Range with the loss of 125 jobs would be disastrous for Benbecula and the Uists. It is exactly the type of decision that should be reconsidered in this exercise – proceeding before the review would be foolish in the extreme.”

Fox calls for a Strategic Defence Review

At the Scottish Conservative Party Conference, Liam Fox called for a Strategic Defence Review to determine what resources our Armed Forces need.

The Shadow Defence Secretary promised a Conservative Government would “match resources with commitment” when it came to military operations.

And he said that while specific planning was “almost impossible” due to the confidential nature of information on procurement projects and military planning, he guaranteed that a Conservative Government would never “under-resource our overseas military operations”:

“One of the first acts of a future Conservative Government will be to conduct a Strategic Defence Review immediately. Only then will we be able to look at specific programmes and the shape of our Armed Forces to see if they can deliver the capabilities we need.”

Liam said it was “completely unacceptable” that the last Strategic Defence Review was in 1998, stressing, “The world has changed.”