The UK Ministry of Defence published its Strategic Defence Review on 5th June 2025 announcing the ‘largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War’ and among other things the building of up to 12 conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines and a 30% increase in school cadets by 2030.
The Alternative Defence Review was published just before this in May 2025 and is a report written by a group chaired by CND’s Vice-President, Kate Hudson, and edited by Karen Bell, the Professor of Social and Environmental Justice at the University of Glasgow.
This report calls for a major shift in the UK’s defence and foreign policy. The current approach, shaped by politicians, the military, and mainstream media, heavily supports militarisation and arms exports. In contrast, the Alternative Defence Review advocates for open public debate, stronger democratic oversight, and a move toward a peaceful and ethical security strategy.
Recent events, such as the war in Gaza, highlight the destructive impact of militarisation. The UK’s continued sale of arms to, and political support for, Israel, particularly where those arms are used against civilian infrastructure, undermines its stated commitment to human rights and international law. Similarly, supplying arms to Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE contributes to serious human rights abuses and destabilises already fragile regions. These actions damage the UK’s global moral standing and extend violent conflict.
The Review argues for an approach based on common security, where no country’s safety is achieved at the expense of others. This connects closely with the idea of human security, which puts people’s rights, needs, and dignity before military power. Peace, it argues, is best achieved through cooperation, justice, and shared well-being—not through weapons and alliances that maintain the status quo.
To this end, the document proposes five key actions:
- Cut military spending, within a framework that ensures a fair and just economic transition.
- Fully implement global climate change policies, especially those advocated by the United Nations and Global South.
- Actively support peaceful solutions in Ukraine, the Middle East, and reduce military tensions in the Pacific.
- Resist the creation of new military conflict zones.
- End arms exports to countries engaged in wars or major human rights violations—including Israel and Gulf states.
It stresses that genuine security means more than military strength. It requires tackling modern global threats—climate collapse, pandemics, cyber-attacks, and growing inequality. According to the Review, the UK is projected to spend a minimum of £288.6 billion on military equipment over the next decade. Redirecting resources away from arms and towards diplomacy, development, healthcare, education, and environmental resilience is not only more ethical, but far more effective at ensuring long-term safety.
The Review also sees peacebuilding as a chance to transform the UK’s economy pointing out that, according to a Scottish Government analysis, military spending has one of the lowest employment multipliers, ranking 70th out of 100 economic sectors for job creation. In contrast, health ranks highest and is 2.5 times more effective at generating jobs. Other sectors—such as agriculture, energy, transport, and construction—also outperform military spending in job creation. The Review supports creating decent, socially valuable jobs; funding strong public services; rebuilding infrastructure; and investing in education and sustainable technologies. A peaceful foreign policy is not a utopian dream, the Review insists—it’s the only practical and sustainable route to a safe and fair future.
In schools, this message encourages critical thinking about the real meaning of ‘security’ and the role the UK plays globally. It provides a chance to engage students in debate about ethics, citizenship, international responsibility, and the true costs of conflict. Teachers can use this to help students explore alternative futures—where peace and justice are not only ideals, but realistic policy goals.
The following teaching resources, freely available from Pax Christi and Quaker Peace Education, and on the TES website, support KS3 students in exploring the idea of security:
What Makes Us Secure? – A Citizenship Investigation
Military Spending – Does It Make Us More Secure?