Chancellor Rachel Reeves has called for closer defence and industrial cooperation with Europe, urging allies to pursue joint procurement and deeper interoperability as a way to deliver better value for money and accelerate capability delivery.
Speaking at an event on European security at the London School of Economics, hosted by Brussels-based think tank Bruegel, Reeves argued that Britain’s future was closely tied to that of Europe, both economically and strategically, and warned against creating new barriers in defence supply chains. Her remarks also appeared to push back against emerging European proposals that prioritise “made in Europe” defence rules, with Reeves suggesting that procurement efforts should be broadened to include other trusted, like-minded partners rather than becoming inward-looking.
“On defence, we don’t want to create more barriers. We want to be bringing those barriers down. We want to greater integrate supply chains, not damage them by taking a sort of inward-looking approach,” she said.
Reeves said the potential benefits of joint procurement and standardisation across European nations were significant, highlighting the inefficiencies created when countries buy similar equipment to different specifications. “I don’t think any Chancellor actually believes we are getting the value for money that we should. Things like interoperability, joint procurement, not every country in Europe having different specifications when they’re buying equipment, the potential there is huge,” she added.
The Chancellor’s comments come amid growing debate over Europe’s ability to rapidly rearm, increase production capacity and reduce duplication across national programmes. Reeves has positioned her approach as part of the government’s wider push to reset relations with the EU, including aligning with EU regulatory standards where it is in the UK’s national interest.
Her intervention also follows a similar message heard repeatedly at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. UK Defence Journal has spent much of the day on the ground at NATO HQ today, where allied officials have consistently stressed that joint procurement can deliver more “bang for buck”, unlock efficiency savings, and in many cases allow faster deployment of urgently required capabilities.
It would sound like a fair point, and is really. The trouble is Reeves is refusing to fund what we need. I imagine our European allies, particularly Poland and the Baltic states, scratch their head when we start lecturing others about defence procurement!
Fabulous, I expect to hear that France is adopting Eurofighter and CAMM any day now.
Obviously she is:
1. Right. We do need to restructure the European defence sector to provide better value for money, remove duplication and foster areas of excellence.
2. Not going to fund the Defence Investment Plan adequately and so is getting her retaliation in first with the need to make to whole of European defence spending go further.
“Reeves suggesting that procurement efforts should be broadened to include other trusted, like-minded partners rather than becoming inward-looking”
That is surely a joke….the whole point of the EU is that it is an inwards looking protectionist organisation!
In the French view EU collaboration on defence means buying French technology or subsidising its creation.
What Reeves is really repeating is the previous team that Eurofudge projects are cheaper with more partners and as they have more cash move faster. That has never been the case. They always more far slower because of the arguments over technologique and workshare. Because they are far slower they actually more expensive.
Multiparty Good Ideas Club perfectionism gets very slow and very, very expensive.
No. The French view on eu collaboration is about having eu funds funding eu projects ; ie projects designed, produced in eu and which can ensure an autonomous Europe capable to defend itself. Samba or camo are pretty good examples.
I think we will agree to disagree then!
😂😂😂 – Thanks for the laugh.
Quick question – Are you delusional full time or part time?
Supportive Bloke Quote: “ In the French view EU collaboration on defence means buying French technology or subsidising its creation”
100% agree SB 👏
I sometimes wonder who the prime minister is. It is common knowledge that Reeves is behind the glacial pace of defence funding increase . Why the hell doesn’t Starmer simply tell her. This needs to be done, I want options on my desk by next week.
Instead she blocks MoD funding increase .
Dear Vlad, love to go to war with you but funds a bit tight . Maybe next year.
“I don’t think any Chancellor actually believes we are getting the value for money that we should.”
I don’t think any Def Sec actually believes we are spending the money that we should in the first place. That lack causes failure far more often than the infamous MOD screw ups like Ajax.