Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to deliver a landmark address at the Munich Security Conference today, issuing a stark warning to British voters that choosing Reform UK or the Green Party in elections could potentially lead to war. In his highly anticipated speech, Starmer will confront what he describes as the "easy answers of the extreme left and extreme right," positioning both parties as ideological extremists who pose a significant threat to Britain's national security and European stability.
Historical Parallels and Dire Warnings
Drawing deliberate parallels to language famously used on the eve of the First World War, Starmer will argue that Reform and the Greens would bring nothing but "division and capitulation" to British politics. He will ominously warn that "the lamps would go out across Europe once again," echoing the exact words spoken by former British foreign secretary Sir Edward Grey in 1914 as Britain stood on the brink of war with Germany.
"It's striking that the different ends of the spectrum share so much," Starmer will tell the assembled world leaders, military chiefs, and security officials. "Soft on Russia and weak on NATO — if not outright opposed. They are determined to sacrifice the longstanding relationships that we want and need to build on the altar of their ideology. The future they offer is one of division and then capitulation."
Political Context and Domestic Pressures
Starmer's forceful rhetoric comes at a critical juncture for his leadership, with the Prime Minister fighting for his political survival ahead of what promises to be a challenging three-way contest for the key parliamentary seat of Gorton & Denton in Manchester. Should Labour lose this constituency, which it secured with a substantial 13,000 majority in the previous election, Starmer could potentially face a serious leadership challenge from within his own party.
The Prime Minister's speech will also outline his foreign policy vision of bringing the United Kingdom closer to Europe while cautiously warning against becoming excessively dependent on the United States. "We are not the Britain of the Brexit years any more," Starmer will declare. "Because we know that, in dangerous times, we would not take control by turning inward. We would surrender it. And I won't let that happen."
Responses from Political Opponents
Reform UK responded sharply to Starmer's anticipated remarks, characterizing his speech as that of "a prime minister on the verge of being hounded out of office by his own party." A spokesperson for the party stated: "This is a man that refuses to find the money to increase defence spending and is making our country weaker and less secure. Reform UK believes our priority should be rebuilding our armed forces, properly funding defence to at least 3.5 per cent of GDP, standing up to China and Russia and strengthening our bilateral relationships."
Meanwhile, a Green Party source told The Times: "This is a caretaker prime minister running scared, losing what's left of his authority by going abroad to a summit on our future security and making cheap smears against the Green Party, because he knows Labour have blown it in Gorton & Denton."
Strategic Vision for European Security
In his address to the prestigious security conference, which brings together heads of state, government ministers, and defence officials from across the globe from February 13 to 15, Starmer will advocate for a more "European NATO" and a strategic shift from what he terms "overdependence" on the United States toward "interdependence" with European partners. This approach aims to forge a new path toward sovereign deterrence and enhanced hard power capabilities.
"There is no British security without Europe and no European security without Britain," Starmer will assert. "That is the lesson of history — and it is today's reality too." While confirming that the United States remains an indispensable ally, the Prime Minister will emphasize: "I'm talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy that does not herald US withdrawal but answers the call for more burden-sharing in full and remakes the ties that have served us so well."
Europe as a "Sleeping Giant"
Starmer will praise Europe's latent power, describing the continent as a "sleeping giant" whose combined economies "dwarf Russia's, ten times over." He will note: "We have huge defence capabilities. Yet, too often, all of this has added up to less than the sum of its parts. Across Europe, fragmented industrial planning and long, drawn-out procurement mechanisms have led to gaps in some areas — and massive duplication in others."
The Prime Minister is participating alongside approximately 50 world leaders at the Munich conference, having already conducted high-level discussions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron. These leaders have also met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to coordinate efforts toward ending the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia as the four-year anniversary of Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion approaches.
Broader Conference Context
European defence architecture and the future of transatlantic relationships form central themes at this year's Munich Security Conference, occurring at a moment when America's commitment to NATO has faced renewed scrutiny. Tensions have recently flared following former President Donald Trump's controversial threat to acquire Greenland from NATO partner Denmark, accompanied by various diplomatic insults directed at allied leaders.
On the conference sidelines, Defence Secretary John Healey emphasized that Starmer was "re-establishing Britain's proud role in the world and its necessary role within Europe." Healey also indicated openness to potential French and German participation in Britain's advanced Tempest fighter jet project, also known as the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), signaling possible future defence collaboration.
Starmer will conclude his address with a call for public engagement on security matters: "We must level with the public and build consent for the decisions we will have to take to keep us all safe. Because if we don't, the peddlers of easy answers on the extreme left and the extreme right are ready. They will offer their solutions instead."
