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EU army warning over Labour plot to drag UK back to Brussels: 'Won't be able to contest!'

2024-07-16 00:00:00.0 每日快报-政治原网页

Warnings are intensifying over the defence pact with Burs (Image: Getty)

Labour’s plan for a defence pact with Brussels will bind military chiefs to “more and more EU rules”, a former British Army commander has warned.

Colonel Richard Kemp said the new Government will “simply have to take” diktats set from abroad.

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“And it does bring in EU rules. It brings more and more EU rules into our defence decision-making, which if we are going to be a part of this pact, we won’t be able to contest.

“We will simply have to take those rules.

“The greatest danger of joining an EU defence pact, and potentially an EU army, is it undermines NATO.

“An EU defence force would undermine that by taking resources from NATO.”

Mr Farage also warned that chief Brussels bureaucrat Ursula von der Leyen believes a European Defence Union “will mean one central form of ordering equipment, one central form of control, no national sovereignty.”

The EU has made little progress in establishing an operational military presence.

EU joint exercises have so far been modest by NATO standards, and, though there’s talk of deploying them in specialised situations such as evacuations, it’s still not clear when and how that might happen.

And the European People's Party manifesto for European Parliament elections in June promised “integrated European forces”.

Sir Keir Starmer has asked for a thorough “root and branch” assessment of the state of the UK’s military capabilities, which the Prime Minister pledged would tackle international threats head-on.

But the Strategic Defence Review is not due to be reported until the first half of 2025. Labour has promised to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent but only after the review and only if the public finances allow it.

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Colonel Kemp, who led British forces in Iraq, said of the review: “I can’t think of any review that has occurred in my lifetime that hasn’t led to cuts to the Armed Forces."

Colonel Kemp said he took part in a similar review under Tony Blair. He said: “The dominating aspect of that was not to really look at what we needed to defend ourselves. The Treasury dominated that review.

“It was all about money and I suspect this is going to be pretty much the same.”

Mr Farage highlighted the alarming state of the British Armed Forces, revealing: “The Marines and the Navy. Down by 16 per cent. The Royal Air Force down 27%. The British Army, down by a staggering 30%.”

Defence Secretary John Healey vowed the review into the UK's defence will balance the requirements for stronger national security with "sound public finances".

John Healey toured the headquarters of Joint Forces Command in Northwood, north-west London, on Monday, where he met with army personnel.

He was joined by former Nato secretary general Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, who will be leading the review into the UK's defence.

The review will aim to strengthen UK homeland security, bolster Ukraine in its fight against Russia, and modernise and maintain the nuclear deterrent, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has said.

Mr Healey said the world "is changing fast", and that the UK is in a "new era" for defence.

"The threats are growing," he said.

"In those circumstances it's right we take a look at the threats, the capabilities we need, the state of our armed forces, as well as the money that's available to fund those.

"That's the way that we balance, if you like, the requirements for stronger national security with the responsibilities for sound public finances."

He was asked why it was necessary for the Government to undertake another review, when the Conservative government published a review just last year.

"Well we've had two defence reviews in the last three years, and they've gone nowhere," he said.

"This is the moment to bring in those external reviewers that will work as experts with the internal expertise that's deep in the MOD, in our armed forces, and other parts of government.

"In that way, we can take a fresh look at the challenges we face in a first of its kind Defence Review."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reaffirmed his commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP (gross domestic product) at the Nato summit in Washington last week.

"This is a defence review that will place Nato at the heart of Britain's defence policies in the future," Mr Healey said.

"We're a changed government. This is the moment of change for our defence policy and our defence strategy.

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