Army chief says people of UK are ‘prewar
generation’ who must be ready to fight Russia
Ministry of Defence clarifies it has no plans for
conscription after Gen Sir Patrick Sanders says UK should take steps to place
society on war footing
Dan
Sabbagh, defence editor, and Peter Walker, deputy political editor
Wed 24 Jan
2024 17.06 GMT
Downing
Street has dismissed a warning from the head of the British army that the UK
public must be prepared to take up arms in a war against Vladimir Putin’s
Russia because today’s professional military is too small.
Rishi
Sunak’s spokesperson said the prime minister did not agree with comments made
by Gen Sir Patrick Sanders in a speech on Wednesday, and was forced to insist
there would be no return to national service, which was abolished in 1960.
“Hypothetical
scenarios” involving possible future wars was “not helpful”, the No 10
spokesperson added, as the row opened up a rift between the Conservatives and
the military at a time when cuts mean the army is at its smallest for more than
300 years.
The
Ministry of Defence (MoD) also distanced itself from the speech, which was
released by the British army on behalf of the senior general, who is due to
leave in the summer, having missed out on becoming head of the armed forces
three years ago.
Speaking at
a military conference, Sanders starkly described the British people as part of
a “prewar generation” who may have to prepare themselves to fight in a war
against an increasingly aggressive Russia. The chief of general staff
highlighted the example of Sweden, which has just reintroduced a form of
national service as it closes in on joining Nato.
During the
speech in London, the army chief said the UK needed to broadly follow
Stockholm’s example and take “preparatory steps to enable placing our societies
on a war footing”. Such action was “not merely desirable, but essential”, he
added.
The
foundations for “national mobilisation” could not be confined to countries
neighbouring or close to Russia, and as a result ordinary people in the UK
would be forced to join the UK’s 74,110 full-time regular army to see off an
active threat to mainland Europe.
He said:
“We will not be immune and as the prewar generation we must similarly prepare –
and that is a whole-of-nation undertaking. Ukraine brutally illustrates that
regular armies start wars; citizen armies win them.”
Sanders has
previously complained publicly and privately about defence cuts. A year ago, in
an attempt to ensure politicians plugged the gap with future spending, he
warned that gifts of weapons to Ukraine would “leave us temporarily weaker”.
Such public
arguments over money have led him into conflict with the MoD, amid reports of
clashes with the chief of defence staff, Adm Sir Tony Radakin. Some allies
believe Sanders should have been promoted to replace Radakin, but he was asked
to step down early after serving two of three years as army chief.
In his
speech, Sanders said the cold war peace dividend was over, noting that “over
the last 30 years, the army has been halved in size; in the last 12 years,
we’ve absorbed a 28% reduction”. Recruitment remained a challenge, he said,
although applications to join were “the highest in six years”.
Before
Sanders gave his speech, the MoD issued a clarification, saying it had no plans
to advocate a return to national service.
“The
British military has a proud tradition of being a voluntary force and there is
absolutely no suggestion of a return to conscription,” the MoD said, adding
that £50bn was being invested in the military during the current year.
With an
election looming, the military is hoping politicians make further pledges over
defence spending. Labour has avoided making any firm spending commitments, but
has criticised cuts to the size of the army and promised to launch a defence
review if elected.
Grant
Shapps, the defence secretary, this month repeated that the UK wants to
increase defence spending from 2.1% of GDP to 2.5% in the future.
But Sanders
said: “The army has a generous £44bn programme over 10 years, but that money is
just 18% committed. During an electoral cycle, uncommitted
money is vulnerable.”
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