Strategic Defence Review 2025

Lord Young of Norwood Green Excerpts

Friday 18th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Young of Norwood Green (Lab)]

My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate. I declare some previous experience: I was a member of the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body and I went to Iraq and Afghanistan. I have seen how people have to operate on the ground in really difficult conditions. I certainly learned a lot.

I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord McCabe, on his maiden speech. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I am sure he is going to make a big contribution to the House in the future.

As a trade union official, I am looking at what the Government are doing to improve conditions. I looked at the foreword from the Secretary of State, which I thought was very impressive. He said:

“We have announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War, stepped up support for Ukraine, awarded Service personnel the biggest pay rise in over 20 years, signed the historic Trinity House Agreement with Germany, bought back over 36,000 military homes to improve housing for forces families and save UK taxpayers billions, set new targets to tackle the recruitment crisis, made it easier for veterans to access essential care and support under the new VALOUR system, and passed through Parliament the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill to improve service life”.


That is not a bad track record of commitment to improving conditions.

I also pay tribute to my noble friend Lord Robertson. It is a fascinating strategic defence review. I do not know about others, but I have sat through about 95% of the contributions today and, of course, we are not going to get absolute agreement. I thoroughly enjoyed the contribution from the noble Lord, Lord Skidelsky, because it is right to challenge basic premises. It makes people think. I did not agree with the noble Lord, but I nevertheless felt that his contribution was important. I certainly welcomed the tribute to Ernie Bevin given by the noble Lord, Lord Hennessy—standing on the shoulders of the giant—and a bit of poetry. It was valuable advice.

As an ex-governor of the BBC, I thought that the point about the BBC’s role in soft power was important, as the noble Baroness, Lady Coussins, reminded us and as others emphasised. I think about the question of language skills while I struggle to keep up the challenge of Duolingo. More seriously, language skills are being automated, in a way; the noble Baroness is shaking her head, so I do not think we are going to reach agreement on this, but she cannot say that the only way to teach language in 2025 is the traditional way. No doubt we can discuss this important point over a cup of tea.

I also want to congratulate my noble friend Baroness Goudie on what I thought was a stunning contribution on the role of women. I declare an interest in that I am the chair of the advisory board for a sustainable and repairable clothing manufacturer. The SDR sets out new ambitions, including creating an

“engine for growth—driving jobs and prosperity through a new partnership with industry, radical procurement reforms, and backing UK businesses”.

[Captain of the King’s Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard and Deputy Chief Whip (Baroness Wheeler) (Lab)]

I am sorry, but speakers in the gap have four minutes. Can the noble Lord please wind up? Thank you.

[Lord Young of Norwood Green (Lab)]

I am winding up. I hope that the noble Lord, Lord Coaker, can give me an assurance that there will be jobs in the British clothing industry.