Kemi Badenoch has warned that Britain risks becoming Donald Trump's 'poodle' if it fails to invest adequately in defence. The Conservative leader made the comments amid growing global instability and Trump's threats to impose tariffs on the UK and Europe over their opposition to his plans to annex Greenland.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Badenoch said: 'Getting Britain working again means fixing our economy and fixing our country, and that means putting our national interest first and rebuilding our defences. Otherwise we will end up being poodles as the US annexes Greenland and we're slapped with tariffs because we have not shown any strength.'
Badenoch also criticised Reform UK, accusing the party of being 'afraid to speak seriously about hostile states'. Her remarks followed the defection of former Conservative MP Robert Jenrick to Reform. She noted that Jenrick's defection speech contained 'nothing about Russia's war in Europe, nothing about China's growing economic and security penetration and nothing about Iran, North Korea, cyber warfare, AI, or the erosion of the rules-based order'.
The Tory leader also took aim at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, saying his 'failure on national security is different but just as dangerous'. She accused Starmer of 'speaking in abstractions while allowing Chinese state influence in universities and infrastructure, Chinese intimidation and espionage on British soil and strategic ambiguity on foreign policy'.
Trump has threatened 10% tariffs on several European countries, including the UK, from 1 February, rising to 25% by 1 June unless a deal is reached for the US to purchase Greenland. Badenoch's comments come as her party faces a difficult week following Jenrick's defection.
