Tag Archives: strategic defence review

Simon McGrath

Lib Dems should say no to the UK acquiring tactical nuclear weapons

By Simon McGrath | Wed 18th June 2025 - 12:34 pm

The Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June, contains plenty of ideas which I believe our Party should support – an increase in the number of ships in the Royal Navy, increased reserves of munitions, and a big increase in our capacity to produce them, many more drones and protection of our underwater communications are all sensible proposals in the more dangerous world in which we now live.

But there is one part of the review which I do not believe we should support, and that is a proposal for the UK to acquire tactical nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver them. The SDR says (Recommendation 30):

“Commencing discussions with the United States and NATO on the potential benefits and feasibility of enhanced UK participation in NATO’s nuclear mission.”

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | 16 Comments
David Green

Going for GOLD; proposals for a Global Organisation of Liberal Democracies

By David Green | Wed 16th October 2024 - 10:25 am

This is part of an individual contribution to the Government’s current Strategic Defence Review

The current Strategic Defence Review has a thankless task: with existing international conflicts and tensions threatening to degenerate into all-out war and unprecedented budget restraints at home, now is perhaps not the best time to be holding a review of our depleted armed forces.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged and | 17 Comments
The Voice

Farron on Defence Review: We need more flexible forces and better co-ordination with Europe

By The Voice | Mon 23rd November 2015 - 6:13 pm

Tim Farron has been commenting on the Strategic Defence Review. He said:

Only this government could create a ‘rapid reaction force’ and will take 10 years to react.

The Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) has some good points, especially the new maritime patrol boats and extra frigates.

The world is more dangerous and uncertain since the last SDSR and that is why we need more flexible forces and greater coordination with allies in Europe. For all the Prime Minister’s bluster, that piece of the jigsaw is sadly missing.

Continue reading »
Posted in News | Also tagged | 11 Comments
Steve Walpole

Avoiding a ‘Munich moment’

By Steve Walpole | Tue 4th August 2015 - 12:43 pm

 

In October of 2010, the coalition government published its Strategic Defence Review into the future of the UK’s armed forces. It spoke of the need to counter the threat from an enemy which fought an asymmetric campaign, citing the growth of Al Qaeda and the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In doing so it ignored the writings of David Kilcullen, perhaps the foremost expert in asymmetric warfare and the hard won experience of our Armed Forces fighting a 30 year conflict in Northern Ireland. Instead it advocated reducing its greatest asset for fighting an asymmetric war, the army, down to 80,000 from its then establishment of 102,000. This loss of 20% of its fighting force was supposed to be offset by raising the countries reserve forces up to 30,0000. Needless to say the MoD is having great difficulty in recruiting reservists.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged | 33 Comments
Nick T

LibLink: Paddy Ashdown – Europe’s free ride on the back of Nato is over

By Nick T | Wed 2nd November 2011 - 6:53 pm

In today’s Daily Telegraph, former party leader Lord (Paddy) Ashdown writes on the challenges facing Nato and the future of European cooperation on matters of defence.

Here’s a sample from Paddy’s piece:

These are confusing times for supporters of Nato. On the one hand, the alliance has completed its mission in Libya without a single casualty. On the other, its future looks less certain than ever in the face of fiscal austerity, increasingly uneven burden-sharing between members, and America’s dwindling faith in its utility.

The fact that the US feels this way is understandable. In 2000, America’s share of Nato defence spending was

…

Continue reading »
Posted in LibLink | Also tagged , and | 11 Comments
Alex Paul Shantz

Opinion: our growing military impotency is restricting our foreign policy

By Alex Paul Shantz | Fri 18th March 2011 - 11:15 am

Recent events in the Middle East have demonstrated how the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) is cutting the British military back to the barest of bare bones. In doing so, we risk losing our position as a leading world player, as befits a nation with a veto on the UN Security Council. Instead we are becoming a two-bit regional player, all diplomatic swagger but militarily impotent.

Amidst the criticism of the Government’s evacuation of British citizens from Egypt and Libya, one success story was the deployment of HMS Cumberland, a Royal Navy frigate, to Benghazi in February. Whilst other countries were having …

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged , and | 28 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Hywel
    @paulwalter They will do that anyway. Such Labour attack leaflets rarely have much allegiance that nuanced truth. If you are going to be a liberal party th...
  • Andy Hinton
    I can't think of any good reason why a liberal party worth its salt would make abstaining on a kick-the-marginalised amendment from the Tories a three line whip...
  • Jennie
    Big hugs for CJ And a hearty two fingers to those sacking her and their flimsy crappy reasons for doing so...
  • James
    If this is true, then it seems both a ludicrous over reaction and an indication of how unimportant women and equalities are seen to be. One would hope that not ...
  • Tom King
    I fail to see 1) how voting against a Conservative amendment could possibly be dancing to their tune 2) why it precludes also opposing Labour's bill in its enti...