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John Healey pledges Britain’s 'biggest shake up in 50 years' amid major defence reform

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge MP says the government need to 'get on with' replacing arms

GB News
Susanna Siddell

By Susanna Siddell


Published: 18/02/2025

- 15:36

In his speech this morning, the defence secretary blamed 'many recent failing' in his department on the Tories' old reforms

The defence secretary has announced the "biggest shake up of UK defence for over 50 years" in a speech this morning as he unveiled his major plans for reform.

He announced that he would create a new command structure in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as well as halt the Tories' old defence reforms from 2012.


His announcement has come while discussions continue on the state of the MoD and the UK's ability to contribute to a peacekeeping force in a plan for Ukraine - backed by Britain, France and Sweden.

Speaking this morning, Healey said: "This is a Government whose commitment to defence is unshakeable. It’s the foundation for our plan for change, for the delivery of our Government’s missions.

John Healey

He said that, with Keir Starmer, he recognised that defence reform was necessary "early" on in Government

GB News

"We will match sustained investment with serious reform. It will mean growing the economy. It will mean a more muscular defence for a more dangerous world.

"It will mean a Britain which is secure at home and strong abroad."

He said that, with Keir Starmer, he recognised that defence reform was necessary "early" on in Government, adding that his plans now "go right across the board and right to the top".

He continued: "There aren’t any bonus points in politics for administrative and managerial reform. But I want the results. I want defence to be stronger. I want us to be more influential.

"I want the people who are dedicated, that I talked about, in their different ways, right across defence, in and out of uniform, dedicated, defending our country, and keeping people safe.

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"I want them to be able to do the job that they’ve joined to do."

Such structural changes are to include streamlining budgets to make sure that the Ministry is "more concentrated on war-fighting readiness and on deterrence", he announced.

He argued that the reforms will help reduce waste and eliminate duplication and make sure that the UK is "buying better what our front line forces need".

Healey has also brought an end to the Levene Reforms - which were first introduced by the Conservatives in 2012 - since they "produced too much duplication, too much waste”.

John Healey

John Healey pictured on Downing Street

PA


Lord Levene’s report recommended 53 different ways to make the MoD a much more effective force and improve the way it supported the Armed Forces.

However, Healey blamed: "many recent failings" in his department on such reforms.

Now, the Labour minister said that the MoD will decrease the number of budget holders from 10 to four, bringing in three new "centrally determined financial budgets".

The Government is currently drafting a review of the UK's defence capabilities as well as a direct pathway to Labour managing to shell out enough money to keep the military afloat.

Although the Government has vowed to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP, military figures and US politicians have expressed their concerns that such funds are insufficient.