On Wednesday 26 March at the Spring Statement the Chancellor hailed the formation of a new “Defence Growth Board” – Reeves and John Healey would meet to “hard-wire growth considerations into Defence processes.” Impressive…
Guido has tracked its progress since. There has been none…
139 days later and an FoI request fired by the Guido FoI unit has confirmed that the Defence Growth Board has still not met – no ministers, nothing. Back in April Labour said “meetings of the Defence Growth Board will be scheduled as required.” Guido takes it that the board’s work is done – before ever having met…
UPDATE: The government has changed its mind and is now claiming on 30 July 2025 a meeting of the board was attended by Healey, Reynolds, and Reeves. If that were the case it would be a Guido victory…
Co-conspirators may remember Guido’s revelation that Reeves’ promised “Defence Growth Board” which was unveiled at the Spring Statement on 26 March hadn’t met once. You can see where this is going…
Guido’s FoI Unit has determined from requests to both the Treasury and the MoD that the phantom board still hasn’t met. It was to be a series of meetings co-chaired by the Chancellor and John Healey to “hard-wire growth considerations into Defence processes.” They can’t be bothered…
76 days after the announcement and zero ministers from either department have met in a Defence Growth Board capacity. Fake announcement klaxon…
At the Spring Statement the Chancellor proudly proclaimed the formation of a new “Defence Growth Board” alongside a “new Defence Reform model [which] will begin operation from 1 April 2025.” The board was to be co-chaired by Reeves and John Healey to “hard-wire growth considerations into Defence processes.“ Glowing write-ups abounded…
Labour then admitted this month it would have “no cost associated with its establishment or operation.” Guido’s FOI Unit dispatched some questions at the same time to the MoD asking for the board’s terms of reference and whether any full-time staff were part of it. It’s a no to both. Terms of reference and secretariat support might be helpful if you are trying to orient the entire sluggish defence industry to growth…
Worse than that the board has as of today not even had one meeting at which any minister was present. A potemkin exercise to shove into a thin Spring Statement…
Sarah Pochin at Reform Scotland’s manifesto launch event: “I really wanted to come on in a Reform tartan burka, but apparently I wasn’t allowed… One day let’s do one of these events not live-streamed. We’ll do all the naughty stuff…”