AUKUS under review: UK Labour taps top security boffin Sir Stephen Lovegrove to review AUKUS benefits

The British government has appointed one of its most senior security bureaucrats to review the progress and benefits of AUKUS.

The Nightly understands this was not being considered by the former Conservative government, which signed off on the unprecedented agreement to help supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines.

Sir Stephen Lovegrove was the UK National Security Adviser at the time the deal was negotiated between former prime ministers Boris Johnson, Scott Morrison and outgoing US President Joe Biden.

He has since joined Rolls-Royce’s Small Modular Nuclear Reactor division as Chair. The UK is hoping to pioneer SMR reactors, as the technology is similar to that used to power nuclear submarines.

His review will pore over the progress and benefits of AUKUS and report to the government in October to coincide with the project’s three-year anniversary.

The report will examine UK progress against the original AUKUS ambition to date, identify barriers to success and explore how to value-add to the project, which essentially creates a giant-free trade defence agreement between the three countries.

The announcement was made in a statement and released at the height of Britain’s summer holidays.

Sir Stephen Lovegrove said he would start work immediately and described AUKUS as crucial.

“With work that is hugely complex and spanning many years it’s entirely right that an assessment is taken of the UK’s progress to date and the opportunities that lie ahead,” he said.

The new Labour government said it was a sign of its commitment to AUKUS and its desire to maximise the potential of the trilateral partnership.

“AUKUS is a pioneering partnership that will not only bolster our defence and security but can drive jobs and economic growth in communities across the UK,” Defence Secretary John Healey said in a statement.

Deputy Prime Minister, Richard Marles told The Nightly that it was a testament to UK Labour’s support for AUKUS.

“Secretary of Defence, John Healey has been an advocate for AUKUS for many years and the announcement of the Starmer Government’s AUKUS Adviser is a testament to that enduring support,” Mr Marles said.

“The UK wants to maximise the benefits of AUKUS.

“That decision speaks to the bipartisan commitment across all three nations to this historic endeavour.

Already we have Australians who are currently working and training in the UK, and long-lead items for our future SSN-AUKUS submarines are being built.”

Sophia Gaston, a British-Australian foreign policy specialist at the Westminster-based think tank said that the review should be welcomed.

“It’s great that the new government is giving the time and space to look at AUKUS as a priority project and appointing someone with significant stature to conduct this review,” Ms Gaston said.

“I hope it provides the grist to elevate the project in a way that is commensurate with its significance to our economic and security objectives.”

The AUKUS review will feed into a wider review of the defence forces and capabilities that the Labour government is conducting.

Mr Healey has warned that since getting into office in July, the condition of the finances and forces were worse than they were expecting when in opposition, sparking fears of serious cuts to UK defence projects.

The British Labour Party has not said when it will reach its stated election promise to boost defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP.

Elizabeth Buchanan, senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute said that even if the 2.5 per cent spending goal was reached, it was still “just too low to achieve the ambitious objectives London has, AUKUS commitments included.”

“The quiet yet strategic announcement of the review is somewhat ominous,” she said.

“Reviews for the sake of reviews are a popular past time in the West, let’s hope this effort has a healthy dose of reality infused in it.”