Defence Minister Luke Pollard faced an intense television interview where he was pressed four separate times to confirm whether the British public is safe, delivering a response that highlighted a new era of global threats.
A Chilling Exchange on National Security
During an appearance on Sky News, the minister was repeatedly questioned by presenter Sophy Ridge on the fundamental issue of public safety. Mr Pollard initially declined to give a straight answer, instead focusing on the new threats and challenges facing the nation. He stated that the UK is living in a new era of threats from adversaries who are increasingly working together.
Only after the fourth direct inquiry did the minister explicitly state, we are safe. He was quick to add, however, that this safety exists alongside the reality of new dangers, asserting that both statements can be true simultaneously.
Admission of Past Underfunding and Current Plans
In his explanation, Mr Pollard pointed to the men and women of the Armed Forces as the guarantors of public safety. However, he admitted that there is a pressing need to increase the amount of abilities they have.
He directly attributed this capability gap to the hollowing out and underfunding of our armed forces that occurred under the previous Conservative government. To rectify this, he outlined the current government's actions, including an extra £5 billion in the defence budget this year, with increases planned for every year over the next decade.
The minister also revealed that the government is hoping six new munitions and energetics factories will be operational before the next election, though he expressed a personal desire for the pace of this work to be faster.
MPs Issue Stark Warning on Defence Capabilities
This tense interview coincided with a stark warning from the cross-party Commons Defence Committee. MPs on the committee raised serious concerns about Britain's ability to fight a war and meet its NATO obligations, particularly in the context of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.
The committee's report identified an over-reliance on the US and called for the public to be given more transparent information about the scale of the threats the country faces and the required response. Mr Pollard said the committee's findings chime perfectly with the threats outlined in the government's own Strategic Defence Review published a few months ago.
He emphasised that lessons must be learned from the war in Ukraine, which involves retiring old equipment and investing in new technologies to deter and defeat potential aggression.
