Andy Burnham needs to make tough choices about defence spending on day one to avoid the self-enforced errors that brought down Sir Keir Starmer, a security expert has warned.
National Security at the Top of Burnham's In-Tray
National security is at the top of the newly elected Labour leader's in-tray when he becomes prime minister on Monday as the UK faces security threats from home and abroad. Professor Anthony Glees, a security expert from the University of Buckingham, told the Daily Star it shapes everything he will try to achieve as PM.
He said: "Burnham could and should be bold. Leave the Labour Left to stew and get on with making hard decisions at once. Tough choices must be made at once. The can can't be kicked down the road for ever. He needs to convince us we've had a change of government without an election; to make voters a long-term offer of change and betterment to take him into and beyond the next election."
Burnham Formally Takes Over Labour Leadership
As the only candidate to replace Sir Keir as Labour leader, Mr Burnham formally took over the party at a special conference on Friday. His predecessor was rocked last month by the double resignation of armed forces minister Al Carns and defence secretary John Healey over a furious funding row.
Prof Glees said the UK faces growing threats from Russia, Iran and China, who could orchestrate sabotage, murder and mayhem on our streets. He added: "John Healey resigned because we're weak and he continues to rightly point out we're will stay weak unless we spend much more. Putin would be daft not to see his chances of undermining us are far better now, this minute, than they will be three or four years down the line. He'll come at us via cyber, subversion or even with armed forces via the Baltic in Kaliningrad or the melting High North."
Concerns Over 'Hillsborough Law' and Trump Policy
Sir Keir's 'Hillsborough Law' risks weakening MI5 and the CT cops by removing their key right to lie and dissimulate in order to keep us safe, something they've always needed to do. Mr Burnham will also have to deal with Donald Trump as PM and told Gary Lineker in an interview he would "be up front" with the Orange Manbaby.
Prof Glees said Starmer's policy towards Trump was "confused" as he was "not with him but not against him." He added: "Frankly this has done us no favours at all. All it has achieved is that Trump temps we're weak losers."
