Ex-Defence ministers ‘wrong’ to claim UK is not war ready, says Oliver Dowden amid rising threats from hostile states

EX-DEFENCE Ministers are “wrong” to claim the UK is not war ready, says the Deputy PM.

Oliver Dowden insisted yesterday that the UK was making “good progress against rising threats”.

He spoke out after outgoing Armed Forces minister James Heappey urged the Government to prepare for conflict.

He said the country was “a very long way behind” and equipping for wartime was a “whole nation endeavour”.

Former Defence Minister Ben Wallace has also claimed some in power were “relying on just hoping everything will go away”.

Asked about their comments on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he said: “I think they are wrong.”

He said: “We are taking action across the board.

“This world is going to get more dangerous as time goes on. We see a combination of hostile states, not least Russia, Iran, North Korea and China.

“Of course there is always more to do, but I believe we are making good progress against rising threats.”

Ex-Defence Select committee chairman Tobias Ellwood told GB News Britain will face war in the near future and “we need to prepare”.

A government spokesman said £24billion had been spent on, or earmarked for, defence between 2020 and 2025 — calling it “the largest sustained increase since the end of the Cold War”