James Sunderland has voiced sharp criticism over the Royal Navy’s current state of readiness, warning that Britain’s naval vulnerabilities are being exposed internationally.
Speaking to GB News, the former MP and British Army officer stated: “The optics are not good at the moment.”
As Keir Starmer faces mounting pressure to better support the US in the Middle East, President Donald Trump has called on the UK to send naval power to the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to secure the critical sea passage.
Taking to Truth Social, Mr Trump specifically called out the UK, China, France, Japan and South Korea, writing that he hopes that they “will send ships” to the Strait as they are “affected by this artificial constraint”.
Offering his bleak assessment of the UK’s defences, Mr Sunderland pointed to the troubled deployment of HMS Dragon to the Middle East as evidence of deeper problems within the fleet.
“The difficulty with which the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Dragon to the Middle East has been played out right across the world’s media. It wasn’t ready,” he said.
The former officer suggested these issues demonstrate an “inherent fragility” now visible on the world stage.
Mr Sunderland highlighted that Britain has lacked a permanent naval presence in the Middle East since HMS Lancaster was taken out of service at the close of last year.
James Sunderland has hit out at Keir Starmer’s ‘inherent fragility’ on the world stage
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PA / GB NEWS
This absence marks a significant departure from established practice, he argued.
“We’ve had a president set for 40 years, which Labour has broken,” he told GB News.
The former military officer emphasised that this gap in coverage represents a break with four decades of continuous British naval deployment in the region.
He suggested the current Government bears responsibility for ending this long-standing commitment, leaving Britain’s maritime position in the Middle East diminished.
The President took to social media on Saturday afternoon, calling out the UK to send ships to the Middle East | REUTERS
Drawing on his three tours of duty in the Falkland Islands, Mr Sunderland spoke of his deep familiarity with the territory and its residents.
“I’ve had the privilege of serving down in the Falkands three times, and I’m very familiar with the islands and the wonderful people that live there,” he said.
The former officer was unequivocal that British control over the islands must remain beyond dispute.
“Sovereignty must never be in question as far as the British Government’s concerned,” he stated.
Mr Sunderland told GB News that sovereignty must ‘never be in question’ as far as the British Government is concerned
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GB NEWS
Mr Sunderland explained that following the 1982 conflict, when Argentine forces were expelled, Britain’s military approach has fundamentally shifted from active defence towards deterrence.
Addressing whether Britain could defend the Falklands today, Mr Sunderland acknowledged the question lacks a straightforward answer.
“There’s no question at all that if the islands were captured by the Argentinians, we would find it very hard now to do what we did in 1982,” he said, noting the Navy has shrunk to less than a quarter of its former size.
However, he expressed confidence in current deterrent measures, citing “fantastic air defence weapons” and an offshore patrol vessel stationed there.