Defence Secretary John Healey’s words ring hollow. The facts speak for themselves.
Is Britain safe from Russia? That was the question repeatedly aimed at both Defence Secretary John Healey and his junior, Luke Pollard, this morning during their various media appearances.
If their vague, obfuscating responses – “We are safe, but we are facing new threats”; “a new era of threat” which “demands a new era of defence, an era of hard power” – don’t inspire you with confidence, then you are far from alone.
The truth is Britain has been doing a terrible job at updating and preparing the country for the still-looming threat that Russia poses. Healey may insist that Labour is “the party of defence”, but this is the same minister who six months ago said he expected Britain to be spending just 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2034 – a whole 2 per cent lower than the target set by Nato for the following year.
Compared to Germany, whose chancellor Friedrich Merz introduced budget reforms earlier this year that will allow Berlin to reach 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence spending by 2029, this is embarrassing.
Healey’s announcement today that 13 new munitions factories will be built in Britain, alongside the two drone factories being opened this week, is a good start.
But at the same time, the British Armed Forces are in a recruitment crisis, with nearly 9,000 vacancies across the Army, Navy and Air Force – and little in the way of a plan for how to fix this problem.
The Government has also been doing a sluggish job at preparing Britons for the possibility of a more direct confrontation with Russia. The fact that even today’s appearance by Healey – billed on defence, but in reality yet another attempt to pitch-roll next week’s Budget – is one of a handful of press conferences he has done since Labour came to power is a case in point.
A survey from March revealed that almost half of Britons claim there are “no circumstances where they would be willing to take up arms” for the country: who can blame them if the Government can’t – or won’t – communicate the scale of the danger that might be coming our way?
Donald Trump may insist he can bring an end to the Ukraine war by negotiating with Vladimir Putin, but even if he does, the threat from Russia won’t ebb away.
In any case, in the here and now, the security situation on the ground in Europe – over 4,000 miles away from the comfort of the White House – paints a very different picture.
Healey opened his speech by revealing that a Russian spy ship known as the Yantar is floating in international waters just off the Scottish coast and accused the vessel of directing lasers at the RAF planes sent to monitor it. He also revealed that there had been 90,000 cyber attacks on the British defence system in the last year alone.
These revelations come hot on the heels of a sabotage incident in Poland in which a portion of its railway close to the Ukrainian border was blown up over the weekend. The Polish prime minister Donald Tusk pointed the finger at the Russian intelligence services.
The past few months have also seen an alarming increase in Russian drone incursions right across Nato territory. Back in London, May’s arson attacks on Keir Starmer’s home are also suspected to have been a Russian sabotage operation.
Addressing Putin directly this morning, Healey said, “We see you, we know what you’re doing, and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.” But are we? Hopefully Healey’s words won’t be put to the test just yet.
