The Defence Committee has issued a blunt warning that the UK may no longer meet its NATO Article 3 duty to maintain the ability to resist armed attack, arguing that both homeland defence and the protection of Overseas Territories have fallen behind the threat environment, according to the committee’s report.
The cross-party report says the UK remains a leading European military power, but its ability to sustain that position is under strain after years of under-investment, slow decision-making, and continued dependence on US capabilities. It urges the government to strengthen conventional and nuclear forces, improve interoperability, reform procurement and industry, and accelerate measures to defend the UK itself.
Committee chair Tan Dhesi MP said the UK must confront the scale of the threat. He argued that “we cannot afford to bury our heads in the sand”, warning that Europe’s reliance on the US persists “despite clear, consistent signals from successive US presidents that European allies needed to step up”. He added that “we have repeatedly heard concerns about the UK’s ability to defend itself from attack” and called for a “wake-up call” within the Ministry of Defence.
A central concern is over-reliance on the United States. The report says the UK should assess where it might replace US capabilities if they were withdrawn and work to keep the alliance cohesive. It also calls for deeper cooperation with European partners, particularly France, and warns against UK industry being sidelined in EU defence initiatives.
The committee says the home front is the most serious vulnerability. It highlights delays to the Home Defence Programme and describes cross-government coordination as inadequate. It criticises the pace of Cabinet Office decision-making and recommends the creation of a Minister of Homeland Security to oversee readiness, resilience and public communication.
The report also backs proposals for a Defence Readiness Bill but warns that the government has yet to define its content or timelines. It says the public must be drawn more closely into national defence planning and questions the lack of progress on commitments to hold regular public briefings on sabotage, attacks and cyber threats.
