The Prime Minister is leading a country « totally unprepared » for war with a « woefully small and poorly equipped » military, a former intelligence officer has claimed.
Colonel Philip Ingram said Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour Government had its head « buried deep » and that the politicians running the country were « naive » to the global threats posed by the likes of Vladimir Putin‘s Russia.
The colonel’s words come as Sir Keir visited British forces at bases in Cyprus just as it has been announced there will be defence spending cuts of more than £500 million, with frigates, helicopters and amphibious assault vessels due to be scrapped.
Col Ingram, a counter-terror expert who was one of the most senior intelligence officers in the British Army, told GB News: “I am concerned by the lack of national preparedness.
“How would central and local Government function in a time of war with heavy infrastructure damage? Our Army is woefully small and poorly equipped for warfighting.
“But what concerns me above all is the naivety of our politicians. The Government has its head buried deep and doesn’t want to listen to the reality of what is happening across the globe.
“Ministers must step up and start to prepare for war now.”
Col Ingram said UK involvement in conflicts such as Ukraine, where British Storm Shadow missiles are reportedly being fired into Russia, put the country in the sights of warmongering dictators like Putin.
He added: “The defence industrial base is not currently capable of building the equipment and ammunition needed for war, in the rapid time frames it would be needed. We rely on our Nato allies too heavily, but many of them are unprepared also.”
Shadow Minister for Defence Mark Francois told GB News: “History tells us, again and again, that appeasing dictators does not work.
“If we want to deter a wider conflict with Putin, we need to increase defence spending, to spend a bit more now rather than a vast amount more, in both blood and treasure, later.
“That’s why Labour’s repeated refusal to put a date on when we will increase our defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP is so dangerous.”
Defence Secretary John Healey said the Government is pressing ahead with cuts to the armed forces despite increasing global instability.
In a statement to MPs, Mr Healey warned that further cuts could be required but insisted he had the support of armed forces chiefs for the decisions he had made.
He said: « For too long our soldiers, sailors, aviators have been stuck with old, outdated equipment because ministers wouldn’t make the difficult decommissioning decisions.
« As technology advances at pace, we must move faster towards the future. So today, with full backing from our service chiefs, I can confirm that six outdated military capabilities will be taken out of services.
« These decisions are set to save the MoD £150 million over the next two years and up to £500 million over five years, savings that will be retained in full in defence. »
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