OPINION
Richard Thompson (Image: Richard Thompson)
Britain was once a military titan, feared and respected across the globe. From the Falklands to Iraq, our Armed Forces projected strength, ensuring that our enemies thought twice before challenging us. But today, that power has all but disappeared. Our military has been systematically gutted by successive governments, its budgets raided, its ranks depleted, and its capability reduced to the bare minimum.
The numbers are staggering. At its post-war peak in 1952, Britain’s Armed Forces stood at 871,700 personnel. Today, that number has plummeted to just 138,120. The British Army, once the backbone of our global power, has shrunk to a mere 75,320 troops — smaller than at any point in modern history. Meanwhile, recruitment is collapsing, with the Ministry of Defence admitting that for every five recruits who sign up, eight personnel leave. The result? A force that is overstretched, undermanned, and unable to meet the growing threats facing our nation.
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The situation is dire. The UK’s military readiness — our ability to mobilise forces for a major war — is in serious doubt.
The House of Commons Defence Committee has warned of “key capability and stockpile shortages” that would cripple our ability to engage in prolonged conflict.
Our forces may be able to respond to small-scale emergencies, but in the event of a full-scale war, we would be woefully unprepared.
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Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman of King’s College London has gone further, warning that if Britain were forced to fight a “come-as-you-are” war today, we would struggle.
Our equipment is aging, our stockpiles are depleted, and our ability to sustain a prolonged military campaign is virtually non-existent.
This is not a hypothetical concern — it is a real and immediate crisis.
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And yet, rather than addressing these failures, our politicians continue to play games. Defence spending as a percentage of GDP has fallen dramatically since the 1980s, from 5.5% in 1984 to just 2.3% today.
The Labour government has pledged to increase this to 2.5% — by 2030! There is no urgency, no serious commitment to restoring Britain’s military strength.
This reckless neglect comes at the worst possible time. The world is entering one of its most dangerous periods in decades.
Russia remains a serious threat, and regardless of the outcome in Ukraine, Putin will not forget Britain’s role in arming Kyiv. Retaliation is not a matter of if, but when.
Meanwhile, China is growing ever more aggressive, threatening Taiwan and expanding its influence across the globe. Iran, emboldened by Western weakness, inches closer to nuclear weapons.
And all the while, these hostile nations are forging deeper alliances, sharing weapons, technology, and intelligence.
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The head of the British Army has bluntly stated that the UK must be ready to fight a war within the next three years.
That is the reality we are facing. But instead of urgently rebuilding our forces, we are left with a military that is “hollowed-out,” as Defence Secretary John Healey himself admitted.
Britain’s history proves one thing : peace is not achieved through weakness. The only true deterrent is strength.
Our enemies do not respect empty rhetoric or vague promises of future spending increases. They respect hard power — real military capability that can be deployed at a moment’s notice.
For years, successive governments have treated defence as an afterthought, prioritising social spending and political vanity projects over national security. This cannot continue.
We must reverse the decline in troop numbers, rebuild our stockpiles, modernise our equipment, and ensure that Britain is once again a force to be reckoned with.
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Because make no mistake — weakness invites aggression. And if we do not act now, Britain may soon face a challenge it is no longer prepared to meet.
Richard Thomson served as a Royal Marine for eight years and was the Reform UK candidate for Braintree in the 2024 General Election