Sir Keir Starmer is preparing for war as he has vowed to make Britain “battle ready” as he announced a defence review.
The UK is already under conflict from Russia with cyber-attacks, spy vessel patrolling the English Channel mapping out the UK’s underwater internet cables and has been persistent with warplanes flying close to Britain’s borders.
The Prime Minister was speaking from the BAE Systems shipyard in Glasgow and vowed to spend billions on weapons factories, submarines and drones, and could take money out of the welfare and aid budget if needed.
Starmer has vowed to spend 3% of the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) on defence in the parliament, the Guardian reported.
The Prime Minister said, “[The defence review] is a blueprint to make Britain safer and stronger, a battle-ready, armour-clad nation with the strongest alliances and the most advanced capabilities.”
He added, “Russia is already menacing our skies and our waters, and threatening cyber-attacks, so this is a real threat we’re dealing with.”
Starmer told the BBC he will not reveal how the government will be able to hit the 3% of GDP target.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “I am not, as the Prime Minister of a Labour government, going to make a commitment as to the precise date until I can be sure precisely where the money is coming from, how we can make good on that commitment, because I don’t believe in performative fantasy politics, and certainly not on defence and security.”
The Prime Minister was asked again for a date, he replied, “We had a commitment for 2.5% by the end of this parliament.
“We pulled that right forward to 2027. We showed that when we say there’s a new era of the defence and [that] security of our country is our first priority – as it is – that we meant it. We take the same approach to 3%.
“But I’m not going to indulge in the fantasy politics of simply plucking dates from the air until I’m absolutely clear that I can sit here in an interview with you and tell you exactly how that’s going to work.”
The defence review 130-page document strongly advises the armed forces to be “war fighting readiness” in an attempt to deter Russia.
The UK has to be ready to fight in Europe against Russia or even in the Atlantic and there will be an increase of arms support and support equipment.
Starmer was asked for example, would this involve troops being sent to defend attacks on countries the borders Russia such as Poland or Finland.
Starmer said, “I very much hope not. And in order to make sure that that isn’t the case, we need to prepare. But we cannot ignore the threat that Russia poses.
“We’ve seen what’s happened in Ukraine just over three and a half, three years ago, those tanks rolled across a border, something I think all of us thought we wouldn’t really see in our lifetimes – the invasion of a European country. Russia has shown in recent weeks that it’s not serious about peace. We have to be ready.”
Sky News reported that Starmer said, “The Strategic Defence Review that I’m launching today will bring that unity of purpose to the whole of the United Kingdom, to mobilize the nation in a common cause, recognizing in these dangerous times when it comes to defence of the realm and the defence of everything that we hold dear.”
“Every part of society, every citizen of this country has a role to play, because we have to recognize that things have changed in the world of today. The threat we now face is more serious, more immediate, and more unpredictable than at any time since the Cold War.
“A new era in the threats that we face demands a new era for defence and security,” he added.
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