Kemi Badenoch urges Britons to get off benefits and prepare for conflict

Speaking to GB News, the Tory leader warned: “What the head of the army said was very concerning.

“I think a lot of people don’t realise that the hybrid warfare is already happening.

“We had a power plant shut down, reportedly by Iran.

“We saw that attack on RAF Fairford.

“We’ve seen what Russia has been doing with the shadow fleet, and we know that there is war on this continent.”

In a dire warning, Mrs Badenoch added: “War could be coming.

“And we as a country need to get ready, not just sit on benefits and hope that something magical will happen to make it go away.”

Sir Roly told around 700 soldiers during a visit to Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, that the UK could soon need them to fight, as he warned of the dangers facing Britain today.

“You didn’t know this, but our nation is going to need you,” he said.

Sir Roly added that anyone studying the trajectory of world affairs would recognise the extreme jeopardy facing the country, and that soldiering was returning to the nation’s psyche.

The general warned that political leaders would soon explain to the public what is happening, where the risk lies and what the nation must be prepared to do.

He said citizens would be asked to play their own part in the defence and security of the country, and ultimately to back soldiers in taking the fight to the enemy.

Sir Roly also warned that in land warfare the burden of fighting falls squarely on the youngest and least experienced soldiers, telling them the defence of the nation would rest on their shoulders if they were called upon.

The 700 personnel were drawn from across 1 (UK) Division, the Army’s light, high-readiness global response force, and included soldiers from the Parachute Regiment.

His warning comes as the British Army sits at a historic low.

Its full-time trained strength stood at around 75,000 in April, the lowest level since the Napoleonic times.

When Labour left office in 2010, the British Army had more than 100,000 soldiers, down from 156,000 in 1989.

Mrs Badenoch’s remarks on benefits come as welfare numbers continue to climb.

Some 25 million people claimed some combination of DWP benefits as of March 2026.

Department for Work & Pensions figures show 8.4 million people were receiving Universal Credit as of May, the highest number since the scheme was introduced in 2013.

The number of people claiming out of work benefits across the UK stood at around 1.7 million in September, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Polling by Ipsos found that half of Britons would be unwilling to fight in a conflict, though more than half supported increased defence spending.

Of those backing an increase, 37 per cent said the money should come from other budgets, while 36 per cent supported higher general taxation.