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| MoD to launch defence review that will be completed by summer | MoD to launch defence review that will be completed by summer |
| (11 days later) | |
| The Ministry of Defence will embark on a new review of the military’s needs, to be completed by the summer, the government has confirmed. | The Ministry of Defence will embark on a new review of the military’s needs, to be completed by the summer, the government has confirmed. |
| MPs on both sides of the Commons largely welcomed the review, named the Defence Modernisation Programme, after Conservative MPs had threatened a revolt against cuts. | MPs on both sides of the Commons largely welcomed the review, named the Defence Modernisation Programme, after Conservative MPs had threatened a revolt against cuts. |
| The announcement by the defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, represents a minor victory in his battle with the chancellor, Philip Hammond, over proposed military cuts. But the review may prove to be a temporary reprieve, with the Treasury still intent on putting a lid on defence spending. | The announcement by the defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, represents a minor victory in his battle with the chancellor, Philip Hammond, over proposed military cuts. But the review may prove to be a temporary reprieve, with the Treasury still intent on putting a lid on defence spending. |
| Williamson said the review would not be “fiscally neutral” and he would be aiming for increases if the review concluded there was a need for more personnel and equipment to meet identified threats. | Williamson said the review would not be “fiscally neutral” and he would be aiming for increases if the review concluded there was a need for more personnel and equipment to meet identified threats. |
| For a period after the cold war, threats seemed to disappear, he said, but the world had become a more dangerous place. “We cannot afford to shy away from this reality,” he said. | For a period after the cold war, threats seemed to disappear, he said, but the world had become a more dangerous place. “We cannot afford to shy away from this reality,” he said. |
| The chief of the general staff, Gen Sir Nick Carter, said in a speech on Monday that Russia posed a major threat that the UK would struggle to confront without a rise in defence spending. | The chief of the general staff, Gen Sir Nick Carter, said in a speech on Monday that Russia posed a major threat that the UK would struggle to confront without a rise in defence spending. |
| Williamson, backing Carter, said: “In order to secure competitive advantage over our potential adversaries we need to ensure we can move quickly to further strengthen our capabilities.” | Williamson, backing Carter, said: “In order to secure competitive advantage over our potential adversaries we need to ensure we can move quickly to further strengthen our capabilities.” |
| The MoD budget is £36bn, about 2% of GDP, and due to rise by £1bn annually, but the ministry sees this as insufficient. | The MoD budget is £36bn, about 2% of GDP, and due to rise by £1bn annually, but the ministry sees this as insufficient. |
| Critics inside Whitehall opposed to further increases in defence spendingsay the MoD is too steeped in nostalgia and that this prevents it from reshaping its existing resources to meet modern threats. | Critics inside Whitehall opposed to further increases in defence spendingsay the MoD is too steeped in nostalgia and that this prevents it from reshaping its existing resources to meet modern threats. |
| Williamson suggested the extra money could come through increased efficiency. However, the MoD has been pursuing this for years and it is difficult to see how this could produce savings on the scale needed to increase personnel and upgrade equipment. | Williamson suggested the extra money could come through increased efficiency. However, the MoD has been pursuing this for years and it is difficult to see how this could produce savings on the scale needed to increase personnel and upgrade equipment. |
| Williamson’s success is in separating defence from a broader Cabinet Office review of security, including the intelligence agencies. With counter-terrorism and cybersecurity identified as key threats, the MoD was in danger of coming off second best to the intelligence agencies. | Williamson’s success is in separating defence from a broader Cabinet Office review of security, including the intelligence agencies. With counter-terrorism and cybersecurity identified as key threats, the MoD was in danger of coming off second best to the intelligence agencies. |
| The British government is projected to spend £1.9bn on cybersecurity between 2016 and 2021. This is for all departments, including the MoD, the surveillance agency GCHQ and GCHQ's front window, the National Cyber Security Centre. | The British government is projected to spend £1.9bn on cybersecurity between 2016 and 2021. This is for all departments, including the MoD, the surveillance agency GCHQ and GCHQ's front window, the National Cyber Security Centre. |
| But the MoD is way behind in spending on cybersecurity, its involvement minuscule compared with GCHQ and the NCSC. The MoD proudly announced in 2016 it was building a new cyber-defence operations centre at its Corsham base in Wiltshire but the amount, £40m, is tiny compared with overall departmental spending. | But the MoD is way behind in spending on cybersecurity, its involvement minuscule compared with GCHQ and the NCSC. The MoD proudly announced in 2016 it was building a new cyber-defence operations centre at its Corsham base in Wiltshire but the amount, £40m, is tiny compared with overall departmental spending. |
| Nia Griffith, the shadow defence secretary, welcomed the announcement but said the review should not be used as an excuse to kick decisions into the long grass. If more money was needed, she asked, “will the government step up to the plate?” | Nia Griffith, the shadow defence secretary, welcomed the announcement but said the review should not be used as an excuse to kick decisions into the long grass. If more money was needed, she asked, “will the government step up to the plate?” |
| Williamson replied: “Will it be fiscally neutral? No it is not. It’s looking at how we can actually get the armed forces that we need in order to deal with the threats that we face.” | Williamson replied: “Will it be fiscally neutral? No it is not. It’s looking at how we can actually get the armed forces that we need in order to deal with the threats that we face.” |
| His remarks are at odds with past comment by the national security adviser, Sir Mark Sedwill, who is heading the Cabinet Office review. He told a select committee in December that his review, which at the time included the MoD, would be fiscally neutral. | His remarks are at odds with past comment by the national security adviser, Sir Mark Sedwill, who is heading the Cabinet Office review. He told a select committee in December that his review, which at the time included the MoD, would be fiscally neutral. |
| Born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, he had a comprehensive education before going on to gain a degree in social science at the University of Bradford. Williamson then worked for a while in the pottery industry and for an architectural design firm before being elected MP for South Staffordshire in 2010 at the age of 33. | Born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, he had a comprehensive education before going on to gain a degree in social science at the University of Bradford. Williamson then worked for a while in the pottery industry and for an architectural design firm before being elected MP for South Staffordshire in 2010 at the age of 33. |
| Just a few years after his election, Williamson became David Cameron’s parliamentary aide, acting as his eyes and ears among MPs. But when Cameron stepped down, Williamson quickly threw his lot in with Theresa May as the most effective stop-Boris candidate and was adopted as her campaign manager. Having impressed with his organisational skills, he was elevated to chief whip, despite not having previously served as a minister. | Just a few years after his election, Williamson became David Cameron’s parliamentary aide, acting as his eyes and ears among MPs. But when Cameron stepped down, Williamson quickly threw his lot in with Theresa May as the most effective stop-Boris candidate and was adopted as her campaign manager. Having impressed with his organisational skills, he was elevated to chief whip, despite not having previously served as a minister. |
| After becoming pivotal in the deal with the Democratic Unionist party (DUP), Williamson earned May's respect for managing difficult parliamentary votes with the slimmest of DUP-backed majorities. His move into the cabinet after Sir Michael Fallon resigned over allegations of sexual harassment appears to position him as a potential Conservative leader, but the backlash among MPs was significant. | After becoming pivotal in the deal with the Democratic Unionist party (DUP), Williamson earned May's respect for managing difficult parliamentary votes with the slimmest of DUP-backed majorities. His move into the cabinet after Sir Michael Fallon resigned over allegations of sexual harassment appears to position him as a potential Conservative leader, but the backlash among MPs was significant. |
| He is best known in Westminster for keeping a tarantula called Cronus in a glass box on his desk, seemingly to intimidate MPs who have stepped out of line. The creature is named after the Greek god who came to power by castrating his own father before eating his own children to ensure they would not oust him. | He is best known in Westminster for keeping a tarantula called Cronus in a glass box on his desk, seemingly to intimidate MPs who have stepped out of line. The creature is named after the Greek god who came to power by castrating his own father before eating his own children to ensure they would not oust him. |
| “I don’t very much believe in the stick, but it’s amazing what can be achieved with a sharpened carrot.” | “I don’t very much believe in the stick, but it’s amazing what can be achieved with a sharpened carrot.” |
| Tory MPs gave notice that while welcoming the review, they were still looking for rises in defence spending. The former cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith said: “Every single government brings forward another statement about modernising the armed forces and invariably ends up with spending less money on the armed forces and leaving the pressures on them.” | Tory MPs gave notice that while welcoming the review, they were still looking for rises in defence spending. The former cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith said: “Every single government brings forward another statement about modernising the armed forces and invariably ends up with spending less money on the armed forces and leaving the pressures on them.” |
| Asked by a Conservative MP whether, in the face of a perceived Russian threat, the UK should not complete its withdrawal of troops from Germany but leave a brigade in place, Williamson said he would consider this. | Asked by a Conservative MP whether, in the face of a perceived Russian threat, the UK should not complete its withdrawal of troops from Germany but leave a brigade in place, Williamson said he would consider this. |
| Defence policy | Defence policy |
| Ministry of Defence | Ministry of Defence |
| Military | Military |
| House of Commons | House of Commons |
| Gavin Williamson | Gavin Williamson |
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