“The fundamental problem is the government’s worldview … it mirrors US and NATO policy.”
As we head into Labour’s first conference as the party of government for 15 years, no one can be in any doubt about where Labour stands on ‘defence’. The general election campaign was blighted by trumpeting of the ‘triple lock’ on Trident, reducing policy on massively expensive weapons of mass destruction to a meaningless, glib catch phrase. And that was just part of a long and extraordinarily destructive list.
The Labour government’s policies are not only explicitly pro-nuclear weapons, they are also pro-increased arms spending, pro-war in Ukraine and Gaza, pro-NATO, and tied into the US ideological and military framework. Much is the same as the previous government’s policies, but this is a new situation, and we need to assess our strategic approach to the new government and the political agenda that it is pushing in the military sphere.
The launch of Labour’s Strategic Defence Review process came early in the workings of the new government. Led by former Labour minister and former NATO secretary general, George Robertson, and due to report next year, its purpose appears to be to justify and provide for an increase to 2.5% of GDP on military spending. It also seems designed to provide a big boost to the British arms industry, creating the false impression that military production can generate economic growth.
Both of these goals must be challenged by the labour and peace movements. But we must also challenge the overarching political framework of the SDR. The preamble of the SDR Call for Evidence observes that the UK faces threats that are growing and diversifying: war in Europe; conflict in the Middle East; as well as terrorist groups; hybrid attacks; and instability caused by climate change.
This is all self-evident but what seems lacking is any understanding that successive British governments have all made these problems worse and that throwing more money at the military is not going to reduce conflict and war. On the contrary.
The fundamental problem is the government’s worldview. The preamble also asserts that ‘states across the world that are increasingly acting in ways that challenge regional and global stability as well as our values and interests’.
What this really means – and it mirrors US and NATO policy – is that the majority of the world is on track to multi-polarity, that new economies are strengthening, and new values are being asserted – like the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, led by the states of the global south.
Britain and its allies don’t want to accept this new reality and are willing to go to war to prevent it – possibly even to nuclear war.
Our movement has a different perspective on what is really going on in the world, and we reject the maintenance of ‘western’ global domination – that has been so destructive – through military, economic and political interventionism.
We have a vision of the kind of world we want to see – a world of peace, justice and equality, of sustainable economic development: policies that help our planet – and all forms of life – to survive.
Join us to discuss a new agenda for peace – and what we want from Labour’s Strategic Defence Review.
- The CND fringe at Labour Party Conference takes place on Sunday 22nd September at 4pm at the Hilton Liverpool City Centre – outside the secure zone.
- Chaired by Kate Hudson, CND General Secretary, speakers include Alex Gordon, RMT President; Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP; Peter Burt, Nukewatch; Jess Barnard, Labour Party NEC; and Sam Mason, CND Vice-Chair.
- Full details of the fringe meeting are here.
