National Security Council: last chance saloon?

The NSC, chaired by the Prime Minister and deputised by Nick Clegg, is meeting for the final time today before the government expects to publish its SDSR, which will outline the future landscape for defence in terms of both spending and strategy. Key talking points will likely include Trident, aircraft carriers, and Armed Forces spending.

The SDSR will most probably be published before the wider Comprehensive Spending Review in a political manoeuvre to separate the two. Watch this space: will we see a radical change in defence policy and positioning of the UK, or merely modest reductions to major weapons programmes alongside a drive for efficiency improvements?