Background:
The Government intends to conclude a defence and security partnership with the EU at a UK/EU summit on 19 May 2025. This “Pact” threatens to cede key aspects of UK foreign and defence policy and military production and procurement to Brussels and could make the UK an EU vassal state in these domains. These developments were presaged at the Labour Party conference last year when Pedro Serrano, EU ambassador to the UK, confirmed that the Pact follows the same template as the agreement proposed by the EU in 2018.
William Clouston, SDP Party Leader said:
“Keir Starmer fought Brexit harder than any other British politician. His instincts are to reintegrate the UK to the European Union as a path to re-entry. The new EU Defence Pact will be spun as a great step forward in UK/EU defence cooperation – but it amounts to a give-away of British independence. Worse still and in typical EU fashion the agreement is being linked to Britain giving away further economic concessions in other areas such as fishing rights in British waters.”
“We need a government which stands up for British interests and builds domestic capacity in military procurement and national defence capability. This agreement does the opposite. It fetters UK independence in defence and foreign affairs which is why the SDP strongly opposes it.”
Henry Bolton, SDP Foreign Affairs, Defence & Security Spokesperson said:
“It’s crucial that our UK armed forces are ready and able to work and fight alongside those of our European allies. Indeed, that is already the case. However, this pact goes beyond cooperation and collaboration and will compromise our national security by tying the hands of our government, our defence manufacturers, and our military.”
“The Prime Minister wants the UK to join the European Defence Agency, European Defence Fund and EU Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Membership of these structures will, in turn, require the UK to submit to the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and coordinate our foreign and defence policies with EU member States – including those relating to our overseas territories. It will also mean that 30% of UK defence procurement will have to go to non-UK companies in the European Union.”“The security pact is to become legally a part of the existing EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), so UK compliance will with EU policy will be enforced by the threat of trade restrictions.”
