The previous Conservative administration, led by Rishi Sunak, had called China a “historic challenge” but resisted calls from Conservative backbenchers to officially label Beijing a “threat”.
Back in the game
Robertson is one of a number of New Labour figures who have been promoted to senior positions under Starmer in his first week in office.
The head of the Cabinet Office, Pat McFadden, part of the prime minister’s inner circle of senior ministers, dubbed the “gang of four”, served under Blair and Gordon Brown, while newly elected MPs returning to the party after years of absence, such as Douglas Alexander, Blair’s secretary of state for Scotland, have been quickly reinstated in government posts.
The review is due to be completed in the first half of 2025, casting doubt on when the UK will meet the government’s stated ambition to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP – Starmer had previously insisted the review must be completed before that commitment.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said Defence Secretary John Healey considered the appointments to be from a “really great team” with varied experience.
“For Fiona, in particular, you have this global expertise, and her understanding of Russia and the threats that Russia poses is second to none,” they said.
