Kemi Badenoch has accused the Government of failing to respond adequately to the growing Russian threat, as she demanded an end to what she called “dither and delay” over defence spending.
The Conservative leader said ministers must “fund our defence properly” while Russia continues to threaten European countries supporting Ukraine.
Andy Burnham has committed to increasing defence spending to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2035, in line with a pledge made by Nato members. However, the Government has so far budgeted for spending to rise to 2.7 per cent by 2027-28, with no firm details on how further increases would be achieved after that.
Ms Badenoch said: “Our Government is fiddling while Europe is at risk of burning.
“In France and Poland, leaders are taking action now against the growing Russian threat.
“What is our Government doing? Has anyone heard from Wes Streeting, the former head of the National Union of Students, who has rocked up as Defence Secretary?”
She added: “We have to stop pretending that we are living in a carefree end of history when Russia is testing our resolve week after week. It’s time to get serious.”
Her criticism has intensified since Mr Burnham told MPs earlier this month that national security “cannot come at the expense of social security”.
Ms Badenoch said the remarks sent a “dangerous” message that the Prime Minister would not reduce welfare spending to fund the military, adding that it was “heard loud and clear in Moscow as well as Manchester”.
Downing Street said Mr Burnham was committed both to funding the military and reducing the benefits bill, but not through “crude cuts”.
Warnings over Russia’s hybrid attacks
The dispute comes amid warnings that Russia could be planning hybrid attacks involving drones or rockets against European countries supporting Ukraine.
Nato fighter pilots shot down a drone this week after it was said to have entered Lithuanian airspace from neighbouring Belarus, an ally of Russia.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Moscow could portray attacks on Ukraine’s allies as “accidental” in an attempt to “paralyse or at least weaken the motivation of NATO countries”.
French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered plans to protect critical infrastructure and defence industry sites from the threat of Russian hybrid attacks.
Admiral Lord West, the former First Sea Lord and security minister under Gordon Brown, said Britain’s military was in “quite a parlous state”.
“In many ways, one could argue we are already at war. We are certainly in the grey zone – whether it’s cyber attacks, drones getting near the edge of somewhere or threats to underwater cables,” he said.
Lord Dannatt, the former chief of the general staff, urged John Healey to set out a route to spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence at the Budget on 28 October.
“My bottom line is that Andy Burnham, and regretfully I would now add John Healey, are playing fast and loose with the nation’s security,” he said.
Mr Healey left his post as defence secretary in the Government while arguing that spending needed to reach 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.
Ms Badenoch has said a Conservative government would increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030 by reducing the welfare bill. The party has proposed capping housing benefit to raise £4 billion for defence, rejecting Mr Burnham’s claim that the measure would make people homeless.
A Foreign Office spokesperson said Russia’s threats were another attempt to distract from its “barbaric invasion of Ukraine”.
“We have been clear that Russia’s hybrid attacks are egregious and unacceptable,” the spokesperson said.
“That’s why we have taken tough action to respond to Russia’s intensifying hostile activity against our continent – increasing defence spending, expelling intelligence officers, sanctioning the GRU, cracking down on illicit finance networks, and ensuring Russia’s criminal proxies are disrupted and brought to justice.
“The UK is united with our allies on the importance of defending ourselves, and Russia’s aggression will not deter us from supporting Ukraine.”
