UK army chief says public must prepare for war, make sacrifices

The head of the British Army has said the country’s political leaders are about to begin a “frank conversation” with the public about the need to prepare for war.

General Sir Roly Walker said every citizen would be asked to make sacrifices and play their part in the defence of the nation.

Walker made the remarks while speaking to troops during a visit to Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire this week. The comments were captured on camera by the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).

“You didn’t know this, but our nation is going to need you,” the chief of the general staff told a group of about 700 soldiers.

“There was a time that our nation didn’t want to think of a time when it would need its soldiers to fight in a war,” he said.

He added that the country’s political leaders would soon explain to citizens the prevailing security situation and the risks facing the nation.

“Indeed, very soon, the political leaders of this country will start to have a frank conversation with the citizens of this country about just what is going on and where the risk lies,” Walker said.

He said the leaders would seek public support for sacrifices needed to prioritise defence and security, while urging citizens to understand the role of the military and support its operations.

“They are going to try and explain to our citizens that our citizens have got to consent to sacrifices to prioritise defence and security,” he said.

Walker added that citizens, even those who might not consider defence a priority, would be expected to contribute to protecting the country.

“And then they are going to ask those citizens, for whom we are not necessarily at the front of their mind, that they too need to play a part in the defence and security of this country,” he said.

He stressed that the public needed to understand the military’s responsibilities and accept the sacrifices required to enable it to carry out its duties.

“And ultimately we are going to need them to back us, to back you to do the one thing that you do that nobody else gets to do and that is to take the fight to the enemy,” Walker said.

The report noted that Andy Burnham had inherited a pledge made by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to begin a national conversation on defence. However, the commitment was made more than 18 months ago.

Although discussions have continued among defence and security experts, the government has yet to launch the promised public conversation.

Starmer is also expected to introduce a campaign encouraging households to prepare for different types of emergencies, including floods, droughts and armed conflict. The plan was inherited from the previous administration but had yet to be implemented, according to Sky News.

Credit: Sky News