Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith has called for an inquiry into leaks regarding the Strategic Defence Review, describing the situation as an “absolute shambles”.
Speaking to GB News, Griffith raised concerns about market-sensitive information potentially being given to people for insider dealing on the stock market.
“Yesterday what we saw was an absolute shambles. This is a very, very serious matter,” Griffith said.
He emphasised that the review had been “done on an independent basis” but criticised how it was “communicated, leaked, briefed out”.
Andrew Griffiths hit out at the ‘shambles’ defence review announced by Keir Starmer
GB News
Griffith demanded “an inquiry to find out what happened, when and by whom”.
Griffith criticised the Government’s failure to provide firm funding commitments for defence, stating there was “no actual money” to support the review’s recommendations.
“The big gap is not the defence review itself, as I say, it’s a decent piece of work,” he said.
He stated: “But the key thing is there’s no actual money. There’s no beef to support this.”
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Starmer delivered his plans for a ‘new era’ of Britain’s defence in Scotland on MondayPAHe emphasised that long-term commitments were essential as “it takes 10 years to build frigates or submarines”.
Griffith dismissed the Government’s approach, saying: “All we’ve got from the Government is an ambition, no actual firm money.”
The Conservatives are calling for 3 per cent defence spending by the end of this Parliament, a position Griffith contrasted with the Government’s weaker commitments.
“That’s not even what the Government once said, which is 3 per cent by the end of the next parliament. That is too little, and we don’t even have that,” he said.
Griffith used a personal analogy to illustrate his frustration with the Government’s approach: “Well, I’ve got an ambition, I’m afraid, to run a marathon in under three and a half hours, but that’s no more likely to happen, unfortunately, on the current course, than the Government properly funding our defence.”
Griffiths told GB News that the plans are ‘ambition’ and ‘not real money’
GB News
Griffith emphasised that defending the country should be the nation’s “highest order priority” rather than merely an ambition.
“The only thing that matters is putting the money behind the decisions and recommendations of that Strategic Defence Review,” he said.
He acknowledged the Conservative record on defence spending, noting significant investments “including in real terms” and contributions to Ukraine. Griffith explained that ammunition stocks had been “run down in support of that live war in Ukraine”, contributing to current readiness issues.
“It shouldn’t be anyone’s ambition to defend our country and our freedoms that should be the very highest order priority,” he concluded.
