After the Daily Telegraph reported that the commander of the British Army would warn the British people that the army was too small and would have to be called up in the event of war, MPs said: “Listen carefully.” He said it should be tilted.
Warnings from British military commanders that the UK is unprepared in case of war should be “listened carefully”, a former defense minister has said.
Tobias Ellwood told Sky News there was a “1939 feel to the world” and Britain was unprepared to deal with “what is coming over the horizon”.
He was responding to a report in the Daily Telegraph, which said General Sir Patrick Saunders was scheduled to give a speech later on Wednesday, in which he called for a build-up of the military’s military capabilities if Britain went to war. He said he was planning to warn British nationals that they would have to be summoned for a reason. too small.
Politics Live: Conservative infighting erupts after PM faces calls to resign
Mr. Elwood, who served with General Patrick, said he was “one of the brightest thinkers we have” and “a strategist.”
“We need to listen carefully. We are far too complacent,” Elwood said.
“What happens over the horizon should shock us. It should worry us, but we are not prepared.”
The Bournemouth East MP said there was a sense that authoritarian states could “take advantage of our cowardice, perhaps our reluctance to really put out the fires” after decades of peace after the end of the Cold War. He pointed out that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“That’s why Patrick Sanders is telling us to prepare for what’s coming over the horizon. There’s a 1939 feel to the world right now,” he said. “These authoritarian states are rearming.
“There is a risk aversion in the West that they want to address this problem, and they want to address ours as well. World organizations like the United Nations are unable to hold these erring countries accountable. ”
According to the Daily Telegraph, General Patrick does not support conscription, but wants the government to “mobilize the nation” in the event of war with Russia.
The British Army numbered 73,000.
read more:
Minister denies claims the military will be scaled back after warning of danger
Expanding defense budgets is essential for NATO allies
he has I used to speak up Regarding the need to rebuild Britain’s combat capabilities in the wake of President Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine, he said that Britain’s combat capabilities had been hollowed out by successive governments since the end of the Cold War.
The Ministry of Defense declined to comment, but Defense Secretary Grant Shapps earlier this week denied the force was being “shrinked” in size, saying it would fall below the current level of around 73,000 under the Conservatives. He said no.
But Mr Ellwood said he agreed with General Patrick that the military was “overburdened” due to pay and accommodation issues.
He said the navy as well as the army was “half the size it should be” and the Royal Air Force lacked the equipment it needed.
“During the Cold War, we had 36 fast jet squadrons, and now we’re down to about six. That just shows how small our military is,” he said.
Will defense spending reach 2.5%?
The senior lawmaker said the defense budget needs to be raised to at least 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) from its current level of 2%.
The government’s target is 2.5%, but Mr Shapps told Sky News on Sunday: “We are not there yet.”
Ellwood said defense spending during the Cold War was “about 4%.”
He added: “Our world is no longer at peace. We are moving into a world of war. The UK absolutely has a role to play, but we need to strengthen our defense posture.”
