Labour claims to be defending Britain from new threats, but its warfare state is steeped in old thinking | David Edgerton

For every sensible proposal, there’s a failure to think through the UK’s place in the world – and a promised ‘defence dividend’ that won’t materialiseDavid Edgerton is Hans Rausing professor of the history of science and technology and professor of modern British history at King’s College LondonIt is hard to take this Labour government seriously or literally. In presenting its much-heralded strategic defence review and calling for a new national resolve, it not only treated parliament with contempt – making big policy announcements outside the House of Commons – it gave the country ludicrously exaggerated claims for a “defence dividend”: the idea that increasing investment in the defence sector will boost growth and create high-quality jobs. It failed to explain why money for arms should be a better stimulus for the economy than, say, funding nurseries.The government claims that the world has become so much more dangerous that a “root and branch” review of defence is needed. It claims that transformation and innovation are essential. Except there is very little that is innovative or transformative about the new approach. The programme it has come up with is a doubling down on the old – on the renovation of the “sovereign nuclear warhead” programme (to be mounted on very un-sovereign US-made and maintained missiles), on up to 12 new nuclear powered submarines, on cyber and drones, which have been staples in defence procurement discussion for well over a decade. The US remains, despite everything, Britain’s “first partner”, with whom ties should be strengthened. This is no great rupture with the past. And, as many have pointed out, there is a huge gap between the rhetoric and the spending, which will merely increase from 2.3% to 2.5% of GDP.David Edgerton is Hans Rausing professor of the history of science and technology and professor of modern British history at King’s College London. He is the author of The Rise and Fall of the British Nation: a Twentieth Century History Continue reading...

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