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EXPERT COMMENT

Here are the key questions that should be asked when assessing the much-delayed plan.

Britain’s defence policy has been dysfunctional for decades. The slow implementation of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review and delays in the release of the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) – originally scheduled for autumn 2025 – are the continuation of a litany of failures. As Britain’s capabilities have withered, allies have become increasingly sceptical of Britain’s ability to function as a military actor and frustrated at the slow pace of reform. 

A core problem of UK defence strategy, revealed in new research I have published with Dr Maeve Ryan and Dr William Reynolds of King’s College, London, is that dishonesty is endemic. It operates across a spectrum, from self-deception via optimism bias, to engaging in ‘alchemy’ over budgets, to lying for self-interest. It affects every aspect of defence planning. 

The issue is: will the DIP continue this trend or break it – by confronting the choices and costs involved in providing for UK defence? When the plan finally appears, a series of key questions will determine whether it is a valuable step forward, or another badly flawed exercise.

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.