When will the penny drop for Starmer? We are running out of time to protect UK from Putin

What will it take for the penny to drop? A rogue drone attack on London’s skyline? An undersea gas cable severed by a Russian “fishing vessel”? Or perhaps a massive cyber-attack on our power grid that plunges the country into darkness? 

We are not at war—but neither are we at peace. The world is becoming more dangerous, not less, and Britain is woefully unprepared across all domains of warfare: sea, land, air, cyber, and space. Our adversaries know this. 

Yet calls to upgrade our defence posture are too often dismissed on the grounds of limited Treasury funds and competing priorities. But such hesitancy ignores three glaring realities. 

First, half of Britain’s GDP is reliant on international trade. If shipping lanes are disrupted or access to overseas markets is blocked—as we saw with grain exports from Odessa or restricted shipping through the Red Sea—it sparks inflation and directly impacts our economy. Put simply: our security and economy are symbiotically linked. 

Second, grey zone warfare—proxy conflicts, cyberattacks, economic coercion, and political subversion—is being waged against Britain daily. and China, now increasingly working in tandem, excel at these tactics, aiming to undermine our economy and sow political discord. These attacks are deliberate and calculated to erode our resilience without triggering a conventional military response. 

Third, if the British public fully understood the scale of current and looming threats—and our widening vulnerabilities—there would be overwhelming support for action. History has shown it is in our DNA to step forward when others hesitate. 

The uncomfortable truth is that our defence budget is stretched dangerously thin. When the costs of CAS-D (Continuous At-Sea Deterrence) are separated, we are spending only 1.6% of GDP on conventional defence capabilities. Well below the NATO average. This is woefully inadequate in an era of rising geopolitical tension.

The result? An overstretched military trying to meet the demands of a global Britain without the resources to deliver the strategic deterrence and flexibility we need. 

Defence spending isn’t just about tanks, ships, and planes—it’s about safeguarding the infrastructure and systems that underpin our economy.

It’s about ensuring we are not held hostage by cyberattacks, supply chain disruptions, or economic coercion. Defence, in every sense, is the backbone of prosperity. 

We cannot afford to wait for the next crisis to act. Strengthening our defences today is an imperative, not a luxury. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of underestimating the storm clouds gathering on the horizon. 

Let’s prepare now—before it’s too late.