SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
London: British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declared AUKUS as central to his government’s defence policy, pledging unprecedented investment and warning that the UK must treat defence as “the first thought in the morning and the last at night”.
Starmer was joined by new US ambassador Warren Stephens – a billionaire private banker and big Republican donor – who threw his full support behind the AUKUS pact at a packed event inside the Palace of Westminster on Monday night (Tuesday AEST), calling it “vital” to global peace, security and prosperity.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaking at a business reception in London on Monday.Credit: Bloomberg
“This is not just a project,” Starmer told MPs, diplomats and defence leaders in a surprise appearance at the gathering.
“It is a national endeavour … AUKUS strengthens the bonds between our three nations, and it shows that when we talk about security and stability, we mean it – in the Indo-Pacific and here at home.”
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on AUKUS event at the House of Lords marked Stephens’ first public appearance since his arrival in London.
He used the opportunity to send a clear message: Donald Trump backs AUKUS.
Warren Stephens, the new US ambassador to the United Kingdom.Credit: Getty Images
“The vital partnership of our three countries cannot be overstated … President Trump, and I know this to be true as it has been repeatedly proven throughout history.”
Stephens said AUKUS could also drive prosperity through an innovative private sector, adding that government works best when “we get out of the way and let our businesses innovate, compete and collaborate to improve people’s lives”.
The remarks from the banker-turned-diplomat, who gave at least $US6 million ($9.3 million) to Trump’s election campaign, appeared as a clear pitch to those concerned about the pact’s future after the president’s return to the White House.
“This alliance enjoys broad bipartisan support,” said the former chief executive of financial services company Stephens Inc.
“I’m sure that you all are aware that bipartisanship is certainly not always the case in American politics these days. However, it is when it comes to AUKUS.”
Stephens said it was reassuring to see that that same support was reflected in the room – which included Australian high commissioner Stephen Smith and former defence minister Linda Reynolds – adding that AUKUS was “a partnership built on trust”.
“The United States is proud to stand alongside Britain and Australia, two of our closest allies, as we deepen our collaboration to respond to a changing world,” Stephens said.
His remarks come at a pivotal moment for the pact. Nearly four years after its dramatic announcement, AUKUS is shifting from high-level co-ordination to complex implementation.
Announced in 2021, Pillar I of the agreement aims to deliver Australia with three nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines from the US and for Australia to build five new nuclear-powered attack submarines named SSN-AUKUS. The first of those will arrive in the late 2030s, and Australia’s first domestically built sub in the early 2040s.
Pillar II focuses on joint development of advanced defence technologies, including AI and quantum.
While AUKUS aims to strengthen defence ties in the Indo-Pacific, former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has voiced concerns, questioning whether Australia would ever receive a US nuclear-powered submarine.
The US faces challenges in its own naval capabilities, with senior Pentagon officials also questioning the feasibility of the submarine deal, given current shipbuilding limitations.
A Virginia-class attack submarine.Credit: US Department of Defense
Starmer, meanwhile, used the moment to double down on defence, announcing the UK’s biggest military investment since the Cold War.
“In February, I announced the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War. That will come on stream in 2027 and then up to 3 per cent of GDP in the next parliament,” he said.
But he said AUKUS was about more than money. “Alongside the pure money comes the biggest shift in mindset, I think certainly in my lifetime – to see security and defence not just as one priority amongst many, but as the central organising principle of government.”
He pointed to AUKUS’s industrial impact, including thousands of jobs already created in the cities of Barrow and Derby, and the role of British businesses in building the next generation of nuclear-powered submarines and advanced technology systems.
“This is transformational,” Starmer said. “An investment in our collective security and a reminder today and every day of the service out there of people who are risking their lives to keep us safe.”
Starmer said he had attempted to demonstrate both by naming former national security adviser Sir Stephen Lovegrove as his special AUKUS representative.
