Armed Forces must be fit to fight, not fight among themselves, warns Healey

The Armed Forces must be fit to fight, not fight among themselves, the Defence Secretary has warned, insisting rivalry among the services must stop.

Speaking at the Rusi land warfare conference in London, John Healey issued a grim assessment of the challenges facing UK defence and told the military he wants to establish a "new era".

"The days when we could indulge in inter-service rivalry are over," Mr Healey told the conference.

• Who is the new Defence Secretary and how has he voted on military matters? 
• Does the British military need an Armed Forces Commissioner? It can't afford not to! 
• Sitrep: Who are the 'outsiders' who are assisting Labour's defence review?

"We must be fit to fight, not fight amongst ourselves. So I really want to see the old rivalries left behind and really want, with you, to establish a new era."

He did not specify what the three services must not fight over.

Mr Healey also praised personnel for their vital work in the face of an insecure world, but warned that defence's issues were more serious than the new Labour Government initially thought.

"Hollowed out forces, procurement waste, low morale, recruitment and retention crisis, and veterans who can't access the services they deserve," he said.

"And unfortunately... just two weeks into this Government, we now also see these problems are much worse than we thought."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has launched a "root and branch" Strategic Defence Review to evaluate the threats facing the UK, the capabilities needed and the resources available.

The review will be overseen by Mr Healey, who told the conference the Army's input wiould be vital.

The report will also help set out a roadmap to reach defence spending of 2.5% of GDP, which the Government has said it is committed to, but has not set a timeline.

When pressed about more immediate decisions on things like defence accommodation and decisions outside of the review, Mr Healey told BFBS Forces News last week: "We will not sit back and simply wait for the review recommendations to report.

"There are immediate challenges we must face and on which we must act."

He was referring to the ongoing recruitment and retention issues.