Wes Streeting sparked fresh fury after issuing a warning about Russia during an appearance on BBC Question Time on Thursday (22 October). The political debate show, hosted by Fiona Bruce, saw the Defence Secretary on the panel alongside Tom Tugendhat, Ellie Chowns, Stephanie Flanders and Geoff Norcott.
Streeting's Warning on Russian Threats
Streeting faced backlash after responding to the question "Are we already in a proxy world war?" He stated: "The threat from Russia isn't just in the land bordering east of our continent, it's in the seas around this country, it's around the Arctic, the high north. Those threats aren't just knocking on our door; they are also here in the form of tools, the threats that are sometimes called hybrid or grey zone, that I prefer to call state-sponsored terrorism."
The politician continued: "Which includes acts of sabotage, targeted assassinations, drone attacks, the mapping of our undersea cables," adding: "So we do have to take that really seriously."
Viewers Accuse Minister of Missing the Point
BBC viewers were left fuming, as Streeting refused to share the ways in which the government is defending the country from these Russian attacks. Taking to X/Twitter, one accused the MP of missing the point and raged: "On #BBCQT Wes Streeting lists all the ways that Russia is a threat to the UK, except social media, where they interfered in the Brexit referendum, and continue to stoke division on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and elsewhere."
The viewer added: "A Defence Secretary who talks about national resilience should understand that our democracy and social cohesion are targets too. You cannot warn Britain about Russian threats while ignoring the online platforms where those threats reach millions of people." They urged: "Streeting needs to explain how the Government intends to confront that part of the threat, not just list the hardware and hostile activity that are easier to point to."
Another viewer chimed in: "The problem with Streeting, does anyone believe him? He seems to be full-time in double-glazing sales mode. We all know what he wants, a bigger budget to disperse to friends and donors, but is that really where the country wants or needs to go? We have had peace for over 80 years."
MPs Warn of Gaps in Military Capabilities
This comes after MPs warned that Russia has been targeting Britain's vulnerable underwater cables and energy pipelines in the High North. The Commons Defence Committee said Britain has "glaring gaps" in its military capabilities in the strategically vital region, leaving the population, critical infrastructure and the UK's nuclear deterrent exposed to Russian threats.
The Navy currently has five Type 23 frigates, which hunt submarines and help protect the UK's nuclear weapons, as well as six Type 45 destroyers. However, these represent only just over half the Navy's requirement for 19 vessels.
Committee chairman Tan Dhesi has said: "The High North poses a major strategic challenge for the UK's security. This is a demanding, hostile environment, and one that our greatest adversary, Russia, is seeking to dominate for military advantage. The UK needs to be willing to address a hard truth: it does not currently have all the capabilities to operate successfully in the High North."
Mr Dhesi added that the Ministry of Defence had accepted a serious gap in anti-submarine warfare, while the low availability of destroyers, frigates and attack submarines raised questions about whether the UK could meet its commitments. He said: "And if the UK Government means what it says – that Russia could attack NATO as soon as 2030 – then work to rectify these vulnerabilities cannot start soon enough."
