Cameron announces Conservative ‘national security’ review

Conservative Leader David Cameron has instigated a wide-reaching examination of the UK’s ‘national security’ arrangements, from both a domestic and an international perspective, and in relation to issues of ‘social cohesion’, such as immigration.

The Policy Group on National and International Security will look at terrorism, the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, threats from failed and failing states, the proliferation of unconventional weapons, the nature of an open society, and the need to build community cohesion in an increasingly diverse culture.

As part of its work on security, the group will consider issues relating to social cohesion - including questions of community relations, immigration policy and their links with the UK's foreign policy.

The Group will also investigate the structure of policing in the UK, including reform designed to bring local policing closer to local populations and to provide a fully effective force or forces to deal with regional, national, and international policing challenges, including international terrorism.

The effectiveness of border control, the security services, and administrative structures in Whitehall to deal with the threat of terrorist attack, will also be analysed.

At the same time, the group will examine the UK's relationship with the EU, NATO, the USA and with Commonwealth Countries, as well as with less-developed countries and the emerging giants; and will also examine UK defence policy in the light of the current and emerging security challenges which the country faces.

Mr Cameron said: "The Conservative Party has always stood for the strong defence of our national security. We must respond to the security challenges of today and tomorrow, not twenty years ago. That means understanding and responding to the complex and interconnected security challenges that exist today.

"We need serious long-term thinking if we're to formulate a response to these challenges that protects our security while protecting the values of our liberal society, and that is why we're bringing together experts on international relations, security, defence and community cohesion to look at these problems in a coherent and connected way."

(GB)