GB News host Alex Armstrong has challenged Luke Pollard in a fiery clash over the UK’s support for international allies, after deploying support for Saudi Arabia.
Appearing on the People’s Channel, the Defence Minister was questioned on why Prime Minister Andy Burnham has chosen to deploy RAF defences to Saudi Arabia, despite not offering support to Donald Trump in his Middle Eastern conflict.
Highlighting the lack of “dignity” from Sir Keir Starmer’s Government towards the US President, Alex pressed Mr Pollard: “You have given support to one of our allies today, Saudi Arabia. However, in the previous Starmer Government, the same dignity wasn’t shown, was it?
“We let the President of the United States down when it came to backing them when they asked for help, but now we’re backing Saudi Arabia.
“It seems completely incoherent to our audience – what is going on with our defence and foreign policy here? Are you not making it up as you go along?”
Defending the decision, Mr Pollard told GB News: “No we’re not making it up, but let me just cover the request made by our friends in Saudi Arabia that the Prime Minister has accepted.
“They’ve asked for air-to-air refuelling capabilities so they can use their British-built Typhoon aircraft in a defensive manner to defend their nation against the attacks that’s been made by the Houthis against not just military installations, but also drones and missiles hitting their capital in Riyadh.”
The defence minister assured that Saudi Arabia is a “very close friend” and ally of Britain.
Luke Pollard has been challenged on Labour’s decision to assist Saudi Arabia but not the US
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GB NEWS
He explained: “That request we received, we’ve analysed and we’ve discussed with our Saudi friends and we’ve approved it. So as a result, one of our RAF Voyager aircraft that’s based at the RAF base in Akrotiri in Cyprus will be acting in support of those defensive measures for our friends in Saudi Arabia.
“But we’ve also announced today a really important milestone with our American friends, not just a new AI agreement, but also that we have test fired one of the American heavyweight torpedoes off one of our brand new undersea uncrewed submarines in our test range in Scotland.”
Mr Pollard told GB News that the new agreement with the US ensures the UK’s “lethality” is increased in light of international threats.
He said: “It helps increase our lethality and show to our adversaries that we have the latest technology. So it’s not just our crude submarines that people wish to threaten us in the maritime space now need to worry about. It’s our uncrewed platforms that can come equipped with torpedoes as well.
It is the first time Mr Burnham has deployed a RAF jet to assist another country militarily | PA
“A really big increase in our lethality but also our deterrence and a good sign of the UK and the US working together in our national security.”
Challenging Mr Pollard on the UK’s threats from Russia, host Ellie Costello pressed him on remarks made by former Special Forces commander Al Carns, who warned that Russia will “ramp up” hybrid attacks “in the coming months”.
Asked whether the Government has been “asleep at the wheel” on the threat from Russia, Mr Pollard was quick to disagree.
He said: “I’m a big fan of Al Carns, I worked very closely with him for two years when he was in the defence ministerial team. And certainly as someone with decades of military experience before him, I take what he says very seriously.
Mr Pollard told GB News that the UK is ‘increasing its lethality’ on the world stage
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GB NEWS
“We need to be aware that the threats that Russia poses to the UK is not just military threats. There’s a number of grey zone threats that’s below the level of military conflict. Some of that is about espionage and sabotage, some of that is about cyber attacks.
“And as a result, we’ve been increasing our spend in those areas to make sure that we have increased capabilities.”
The defence minister assured that the Government is working “more closely” with its allies on several “cross-border” risks.
He said: “We’ve been working more closely, in particular with our Nato allies in Europe against some of the actions that we’re seeing both in the UK potentially, but also elsewhere that people need should be reassured that we’re spending more on defence and our country is well defended.
“But the risk that Russia poses is real and it’s growing, and for that reason we’re increasing defence spending.”