Thread by @RethinkingSecu1

Amid the general tumult of government, much has been going on under PM Truss to reorganise the UK's national security architecture and (perhaps?) strategy, yet next to nothing has been communicated to Parliament or public about what is happening, by whom, when and why. A 🧵

On 14 September, we got a new National Security Adviser, veteran diplomat Sir Tim Barrow, an expert on Russia/Ukraine and the EU/Brexit. More interesting was the nuclear-oriented role his predecessor Sir Stephen Lovegrove was shunted into.

https://twitter.com/RethinkingSecu1/status/1567893642982850561

On 21 September, the PM announced (at the UN) that an update of the 2021 Integrated Review was being conducted by her adviser John Bew. There still don't seem to be any details in the public realm of what, how, why or with whose input this is happening.

https://twitter.com/RethinkingSecu1/status/1572538983019851782

On 23 September, the National Security Council, in place since 2010, was quietly dissolved and replaced with a Foreign Policy & Security Committee. Again, no rationale was given by #10. We're still speculating on what it's for, when it meets, who attends.
theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/s…

That same momentous day, Kwasi Kwarteng's 'mini-budget' failed to mention PM Truss's (unfunded) commitment to raise defence spending by c.£157Bn over 8 years. The PM keeps mentioning it; the Chancellor's kept schtum. Why? Labour seems afraid to ask.

https://twitter.com/RethinkingSecu1/status/1574413322564554752

On 27 Sept, the ministerial portfolios were reshuffled at the FCDO. Leo Doherty got Conflict, Stabilisation & Mediation (formerly w/ int dev) to add to 'National Security' + Defence & International Security. It will be interesting to hear more about this.

https://twitter.com/RethinkingSecu1/status/1574737755124469760

Meanwhile, we now hear that the @JointCtteNSS has been getting frustrated trying to get info out of the Cabinet Office (Malthouse, then Zahawi) on reforms to Govt risk and resilience management structures. Basic question: Who on Earth is in charge?

https://twitter.com/TheSecurocrat/status/1580664354906681344

And we also understand from Zahawi's correspondence of 27 Sept that the #10 Policy Unit, which was?/is? leading on the updated #IntegratedReview has been merged into the 'Economic & Domestic Secretariat (EDS)'. Which raises further questions...

We are heartened that the JCNSS under Margaret Beckett is looking into this and hope that the @CommonsDefence under @Tobias_Ellwood, @LordsIRCom under @JoyceAnelay, and @CommonsForeign under its new chair @aliciakearns will also be able to scrutinise the Govt on these reforms.

Basic questions that need answers include:
* What are the Terms of Reference of the IR update?
* How will it incorporate external perspective views and challenges, including from the public?
* Which officials (we know which ministers) attend the FP&S Committee? What is its remit?

And for what we mean by effective external consultation in national security policy-making, please see our report with @benaldson of @UNAUK on the flawed (to write mildly) process around the #IntegratedReview. Process matters. So does inclusion.
rethinkingsecurity.org.uk/2021/12/10/ope…