EXCLUSIVE: The Conservative Party leader told the Daily Express that conflict is avoidable but only if drastic action is taken to prepare for war.
The Tory leader called on the government to do more to prepare for war (Image: )
Kemi Badenoch has warned the government that they must prepare for war if they hope to avoid conflict with Russia. The Conservative Party leader was speaking on a tour of a UK drone factory as she announced a pledge to boost Britain’s defence through a Sovereign Defence Fund (SDF) of up to £50 billion.
The plans come days after the Chief of the Defence Staff(CDS), Britain’s most senior military officer, warned the nation that their sons and daughters could be asked to fight as he called for “a whole-of-society response”. Ms Badenoch told the Daily Express that hostile states respect only strength and failure to invest properly in defence would leave the UK vulnerable. She said: “I think war is avoidable but the best way to avoid a war is to be strong – strong countries don’t get attacked.
“If an aggressive country like Russia believes that it can win a war then it will start a war.
“We must be prepared and be resilient, that is the most important thing.”
Her comments come just days after Britain’s most senior military officer told a conference that the UK needs “more people being ready to fight for their country” as the nation seeks to deter a potential confrontation with Russia.
In his first annual RUSI lecture, CDS Sir Richard Knighton warned that the current geo-political situation is more dangerous than he has seen in his 37 years in uniform.
He warned: “Sons and daughters. Colleagues. Veterans will all have a role to play. To build. To serve. And if necessary, to fight.
“And more families will know what sacrifice for our nation means.”
His comments echoed similar statements made by the Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte who told allies that they must be prepared to fight a war on the scale of that fought by grandparents and great grandparents.
“Russia is already escalating its covert campaign against our societies,” Rutte said in a speech in Germany. “We must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured.”
Ms Badenoch echoed accusations that Britain is moving too slowly in its approach to rearmament, warning that only the Conservatives were capable of staring down Russian aggression.
She added: “People like Vladimir Putin are never satisfied and that is why you don’t appease them, it is why you face them down.
“What worries me is none of the other parties in this country, especially the government, are ready to face this fact.
“We have a Labour government that is weak, we have a Reform party where the leader has talked about his admiration for Vladimir Putin and had a leader in Wales who was bribed by Russia.
“I just don’t have any confidence that any other party except us has the initiative, the strength, the credibility and the competence to deal with this.”
Badenoch urged the government to prepare for war to achieve peace (Image: Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire)
Air Chief Marshal Knighton called for a whole nation approach to prepare for war (Image: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
In June, the government released its Strategic Defence Review (SDR), setting out dozens of recommendations to rearm the British armed forces and allow them to conduct peer-on-peer warfighting in the 2030s.
The report’s recommendations were accepted in full by the government but critics have accused them of “moving too slow” with a major investment plan unlikely to be delivered this year.
Defence Secretary John Healey had promised that the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) would be released in the Autumn, which would set out how the recommendations made in the SDR will be delivered.
However, Healey refused to set out a date for publication when challenged earlier this week, prompting accusations that Labour’s approach to defence reform was “glacial”.
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge told the Daily Express: “It is shocking that he can’t answer this – surely he knows if it’s in his dairy or not?
“What message does it send to defence industry that the publication of the DIP remains so uncertain? It’s no wonder the Defence Committee described Labour’s approach as “glacial”.
“Warfare is changing rapidly, but Labour are moving far too slowly.”
