The newly appointed Prime Minister Andy Burnham has launched an ambitious domestic agenda focused on easing the cost of living, including measures to cut energy bills and cap bus fares. His strategy aims to regain traditional Labour voters, restore public confidence in services, and position the party for electoral success in three years. However, some experts caution that Burnham’s focus on domestic priorities must be balanced with an evolving international security landscape.
On the day Burnham took office, a Russian warship conducted live-fire exercises in the English Channel, underscoring ongoing geopolitical tensions and the reality of “grey zone” conflicts—aggressive actions below the threshold of conventional war. While the visible missile tests attracted attention, greater concern lies in vulnerabilities beneath the surface, such as subsea cables, pipelines, and critical infrastructure essential to Britain’s economy and national security.
According to a former Conservative MP and ex-chair of the Defence Select Committee, Tobias Ellwood, safeguarding the economy is central to national resilience in the face of such threats. He argues that Britain’s exposure extends beyond conventional military weaknesses to include limited air defenses and inadequate protection of energy and data networks, which remain susceptible to cyberattacks and sabotage.
Britain’s defence policy faces a persistent challenge: balancing rising threat demands with constrained budgets. The recent appointment of Wes Streeting as Secretary of State for Defence signals a continued effort to address capability shortfalls identified in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review and followed up in the Defence Investment Plan. However, defence spending has not been increased commensurately with the growing scope of modern warfare, which now encompasses cyber, artificial intelligence, space, electronic warfare, and autonomous systems, in addition to traditional forces.
Burnham has yet to commit to raising defence expenditure to 3% of gross domestic product by 2030, a target seen by officials as critical for closing gaps in military capability. Achieving this benchmark would require roughly £17 billion more per year by the end of the decade, an amount that some analysts argue could be funded by modest tax adjustments or reprioritizing welfare spending, which has grown significantly over recent decades.
Streeting has acknowledged the evolving threat landscape, describing recent Russian naval maneuvers as “just the tip of the iceberg,” reflecting classified assessments of ongoing activities by Russia, China, and Iran in the “grey zone.” Increased public awareness of these developments may lead to stronger support for defence investment.
Cross-party cooperation has been suggested as a mechanism to bolster national security. Former Conservative minister Kemi Badenoch expressed willingness to collaborate with Burnham on defence issues, emphasizing that security should transcend partisan divides. Experts stress that securing adequate funding and protecting critical infrastructure are essential to maintaining deterrence, which they argue remains more cost-effective than engaging in conflict.