King’s Speech

Lord John of Southwark Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord John of Southwark (Lab)]

My Lords, I thought long and hard about which debate on the humble Address I should participate in. My background in local government, regeneration and housing initially pushed me towards the debate yesterday; but since joining your Lordships’ House in January, the questions raised here, conversations with colleagues and the challenges of world events have brought me to a realisation that our nation’s defence is a topic that I cannot ignore. While I have no historic experience or expertise in defence, the challenges our nation faces means that defence should be everyone’s business.

For more than 30 years since the peace dividend of the 1990s, we have perhaps left defence as a subject largely for those with knowledge and experience of the military sector. However, I know they must now feel that it is imperative that more, if not all, of us should play a part in the debate about the fundamental duty of government—the security of our nation. Without a new debate and the building of a truly national consensus, we risk allowing our nation’s security to be sidelined again at a time when it should be top of every agenda. So I hope that my contribution today will be welcomed and my lack of experience forgiven—perhaps seen as a pre-emptive strike of the national conversation.

President Theodore Roosevelt popularised the proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick”, as an approach to the United States’ national defence policy in 1900. As one military expert observed to me recently, there is a risk that our approach to defence today becomes characterised as, “Shout loudly and carry a matchstick”. In fact, the British military remains a formidable force, with recent and relevant experience of supporting significant military engagements. Britain has military knowledge that continues to be envied and used around the globe.

We have a plan in the strategic defence review, but I can only add my voice to those calling for it to be implemented through the defence investment plan, for the reality is that, even if we meet our current and significantly increased target of 3.5% of GDP on defence spending by 2035, in nine years’ time, that will still be only half of what the then Government were spending on rearmament in 1938, having risen from similar levels of spending to today in 1932. I do not believe that we have the luxury of being able to wait another nine years to significantly increase our defence spending and capacity when the world today feels far more threatening and our alliances uncertain—and I know that many here would argue that the world today is more akin to 1938 than to 1932. We know that, in life, prevention is better than cure, and 3.5%, or even 6.9%, of GDP spent on defence now would still be dwarfed by the massive sums that it would actually cost to fight a war, as the noble and gallant Lord, Lord Stirrup, pointed out, recalling that more than 50% of GDP was ultimately spent annually on defence during World War Two.

We need to show those who would challenge our way of life that we are serious about protecting our freedoms and begin to make the investment necessary to defend ourselves with the systems, weapons and people needed in 2026. As the noble Baroness, Lady Kingsmill, outlined, there are innovative and affordable ways in which we can fund that defence investment. Let us embrace that innovation and explore all options to build the systems we need now.

I welcome the Government’s moves to strengthen our relationship with our EU neighbours. That is an essential ingredient in building our defence capability. War and conflict are never an inevitability, but we make them more likely if we fail to demonstrate by words and deeds that we will act now to have the military capacity to defend ourselves.