Civil service professionals' union Prospect has applauded the government's announcement of a strategic defence review this week – but cautioned that the exercise must also result in a workforce plan to ensure the Ministry of Defence has the talent it needs.
Prime minister Keir Starmer announced yesterday that former New Labour secretary of state for defence Lord George Robertson will lead the defence review, which is due to report before the end of June next year.
Starmer said the strategic review would be part of the government's efforts to "forge a new clear-eyed approach" to the national defences – with depleted armed forces "bolstered and respected", defence spending "responsibly increased" and capabilities delivered to ensure long-term resilience.
Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy, whose union has members across the MoD and its agencies as well as in companies that operate in the defence sector, said Starmer's message was positive. But he said the review needed to be accompanied by a roadmap to ensure the skills required for delivery are in place.
"The early launch of a defence review is welcome, given the growing threats to the UK around the world," Clancy said.
"It is important that the government works with unions and employers to develop a proper workforce plan alongside the review which encompasses the armed forces, civil service and the private sector. This will make sure that the ambitions of the review can be delivered in practice."
Clancy added that with work on the review set to continue for the best part of a year, ministers also needed to consider how the MoD's defence design process would proceed while the review process is ongoing.
"The recruitment freeze imposed by the last government continues to cause serious problems across the department and a more strategic approach is badly needed," he said.
The department put a temporary pause on hiring last July to deal with financial pressures. Later the same month, it announced the freeze had been extended to 18 months as part of an effort to cut 3,000 jobs from the MoD workforce.
Robertson's strategic review panel includes UK-born foreign-policy expert Dr Fiona Hill, who is a former US presidential adviser, and former joint-forces commander Gen Sir Richard Barrons.
Work will be overseen by defence secretary John Healey and supported by a defence review team of senior high-level experts from inside and outside government.
Yesterday, Healey accompanied Australia's defence minister, Richard Marles, on a tour of the MoD-owned Sheffield Forgemasters business, which makes highly complex steel components for nuclear-powered submarines that are being built for both nations.
Part of the Aukus security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States involves a project to build SSN-Aukus submarines for the UK and Australia.
Healey said the project would create around 7,000 jobs in the UK, with a peak of 21,000 jobs in the supply chain.
"This is just one example of how our hugely important partnership with our Australian and American partners can help drive jobs and growth across Britain," he said.