The AUKUS submarine deal is facing an unexpected threat. Not from Beijing. Not from Paris. From a crowd-funded inquiry launched by an Australian ex-minister.
Andrew Hastie, a former Liberal MP and defence minister, is the man behind this. He's raised over $200,000 through a crowdfunding platform. His target? To scrutinise the trilateral security pact between Australia, the UK and the US.
Westminster is watching this closely. The submarine deal is the centrepiece of British defence strategy. It's meant to secure jobs in Barrow-in-Furness. It's meant to cement the UK's role in the Indo-Pacific. But Hastie's inquiry threatens to unravel this.
He argues the deal is too opaque. The costs are too high. The benefits are too uncertain. He's not alone. There are murmurs within the Australian parliament. Some Labor MPs are uneasy about the price tag, estimated at $368 billion.
Downing Street insists the deal is on track. But behind closed doors, officials are alarmed. A crowd-funded inquiry could cause delays. It could force a renegotiation. It could even collapse the deal.
The British government has invested heavily in AUKUS. It's a key part of the Integrated Review. It's a symbol of post-Brexit global Britain. If it fails, the political fallout would be severe.
Hastie's inquiry is expected to take six months. It will hear from experts, industry leaders, and former officials. The final report could reshape the debate.
Here in Westminster, the mood is tense. The Defence Secretary has been fielding questions from nervous backbenchers. There are calls for a parliamentary inquiry here too.
This is a developing story. The submarine pact is in uncharted waters.
