David Cameron: We will defeat terrorism, and the poisonous ideology that fuels it

With this defence spending review, Britain is putting its money where its mouth is to fund strong security and global efforts to boost democracy

Prime Minister David Cameron delivers a press conference
Prime Minister David Cameron delivers a press conference Credit: Photo: FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/EPA

This Monday morning I am visiting Paris to show our continued support to the French people and to discuss with President Hollande how we can work together to rid the world of this evil terrorist threat.

"The UK will be the only major country in the world spending both 2 per cent of our GDP on defence and 0.7 of our GNI on aid"

As the murders on the streets of Paris reminded us so starkly, Islamic State (Isil) is not some remote problem thousands of miles away; it is a direct threat to our security. So I want the British people to know they have a government that understands the importance of our national security and that we will take whatever actions are necessary to keep our country safe.

This is not a time to equivocate about allowing our police to shoot a terrorist to save the lives of innocent people. It is not a time to stand back and wish for another world where Jihadi John or Reyaad Khan could somehow be arrested, rather than stopped in their tracks. Neither is it a moment to question our support for our dedicated security and intelligence services, who risk their lives day in and day out – often necessarily without any recognition – in order to keep us safe.

So later in Parliament I am setting out our Strategic Defence and Security Review, a comprehensive plan to back our Armed Forces, counter-terrorism police and intelligence agencies with the resources they need to defeat this terrorism and to tackle the many other threats we face in a world that is ever more dangerous and uncertain.

Economic security and national security go hand in hand. So at the heart of our strategy is our decision to see through our long-term economic plan and use our renewed economic strength to invest further in our security. As a result, the United Kingdom will be the only major country in the world which is simultaneously going to meet the Nato target of spending 2 per cent of our GDP on defence and the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of our GNI on development, while also increasing investment in our security and intelligence agencies and in counter-terrorism.

We will use this comprehensive investment to cover the full spectrum of measures needed. This includes a real focus on tackling the causes of the threats we face – not just their consequences. So we will tackle the poisonous ideology of Islamist extremism and refocus our aid budget to support fragile and broken states and regions, to prevent conflict and promote the golden thread of conditions that drive prosperity across the world: the rule of law, good governance and the growth of democracy.

Our strategy includes deepening our resources and international co-operation on counter-terrorism to detect and foil plots from wherever they emanate in the world. So along with 1,900 new staff for our agencies and increased investment in counter-terrorism police, we will make a major new investment in a new generation of surveillance drones.

These British-designed unmanned aircraft will fly at the very edge of the earth’s atmosphere and allow us to observe our adversaries for weeks on end, providing critical intelligence for our forces. As part of our historic partnership, under the Lancaster House Treaty, we also intend to make a significant joint investment with France in developing unmanned combat air vehicles.

"We cannot leave the burden and risks of protecting our country to others"

The bottom line of our National Security Strategy must always be the willingness and capability to use force where necessary. On Friday evening the United Nations Security Council unanimously agreed Resolution 2249, calling on member states to take “all necessary measures” against Isil in both Syria and Iraq, and the “global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security” Isil represents.

In the coming days, I will respond personally to the foreign affairs select committee, making the case for Britain to join our international allies in going after Isil at their headquarters in Syria, not just Iraq. We cannot leave the burden and risks of protecting our country to others. Such action would be one key element of a comprehensive, long-term strategy to defeat Isil, in parallel with a major international effort to bring an end to the war in Syria.

Prime Minister David Cameron speaks to British troops in Camp Bastion

For this and for any other tasks that may arise in future, this Government will ensure that our Armed Forces always have the capabilities they need. Over the last five years we have reconfigured Britain’s Armed Forces so they are able to deal with modern and evolving threats. Over the next decade we will invest more than £178 billion in buying and maintaining equipment – including doubling our investment in equipment to support our Special Forces. We will create two new strike brigades, forces of up to 5,000 personnel each, fully equipped to deploy rapidly and sustain themselves in the field.

We will establish two additional Typhoon squadrons and an additional squadron of F35 Lightning combat aircraft to operate from our new aircraft carriers. And we will invest in nine maritime patrol aircraft to protect our nuclear deterrent, hunt down hostile submarines and enhance our maritime search and rescue. Not one of these capabilities is an optional extra or an act of vanity. These investments are an act of clear-eyed self-interest to ensure our prosperity and security.

Britain is fortunate to have some of the finest Armed Forces, counter-terrorism police and security services in the world. This Government will ensure they stay that way. Using our renewed economic strength, we will equip them to defeat the terrorist threat and help keep us safe for generations to come.