Kemi Badenoch has warned that Britain must prepare for a possible conflict with Russia, arguing that defence spending should be increased to 3 per cent of gross domestic product and funded partly by cuts to welfare.
Speaking to Conservative activists at London Scottish House in Westminster, the Tory leader said: “Conflict is coming, we must act now.” She described the threat as real rather than the plot of an action film, saying that Britain was already facing a “hybrid” war and that a more serious confrontation could follow.
Mrs Badenoch said the Conservatives had worked out how to reach the 3 per cent target, with savings from housing support and reforms to the Motability scheme among the measures being considered.
She claimed the scheme had been abused by some recipients and referred to an example of a person allegedly obtaining a vehicle after claiming to have tennis elbow. The Conservatives have also argued that welfare spending must be reduced to ensure that more money can be directed towards the armed forces.
The speech took place in a listed building decorated with memorials to the London Scottish Rifles and plaques commemorating battles including Vimy Ridge, Anzio, Loos and Primosole Bridge.
Its setting, and the date of the address, gave the event an unusually sombre tone. September 3 marked the anniversary of Britain declaring war on Germany in 1939, while the hall’s memorials listed soldiers killed during the First World War.
Mrs Badenoch said the experience of war extended beyond battlefield casualties, warning that it could leave lasting emotional damage for generations. She presented the prospect of conflict with Russia as a matter requiring immediate political decisions rather than distant contingency planning.
Introducing the event, the new Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith said he had joined the Conservative ranks at the age of 14. He also paid tribute to his predecessor, Sir Mel Stride, who recently left the post after what was described as an honourable period in the role.
Mrs Badenoch pointed to military expansion by other European countries as evidence that Britain could not afford to delay. She said Poland was increasing the size of its army to 300,000 personnel, Germany was aiming to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035 and Greece had already reached that level.
“We cannot defend ourselves by capping bus fares,” she said, in a direct criticism of Labour’s domestic priorities. She added: “If you want peace, you prepare for war.”
The Conservative leader also warned that Vladimir Putin would not wait for the Government to complete its spending plans before taking action. She argued that increasing the number of mayors would do nothing to protect the country and called for a more urgent focus on national security.
Pressed by journalists over the record of previous Conservative prime ministers, Mrs Badenoch insisted that she was now in charge of the party. She defended the decision to target welfare spending and dismissed criticism from broadcasters and financial journalists who questioned the Conservatives’ approach.
Her intervention sets up a sharper political contest over the cost of rearming Britain, with the Conservatives arguing that defence must take priority over other areas of public spending and Labour under pressure to explain how its own long-term commitments will be financed.
