Britain must prepare to make sacrifices for war, army chief warns
Chief of the General Staff General Sir Roly Walker told troops at Catterick that political leaders would soon have a 'frank conversation' with citizens who must 'consent to sacrifices' for defence; a poll finds half of Britons would not fight for the UK under any circumstances.
The head of the British Army has warned that Britain’s political leaders will soon need to have a “frank conversation” with the public about preparing for war, telling troops that citizens must “consent to sacrifices” to prioritise defence.
General Sir Roly Walker, Chief of the General Staff, made the remarks on Thursday in an address to about 700 soldiers from 1 (UK) Division, the Army’s high-readiness global response force, at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire.
“You didn’t know this, but our nation is going to need you,” he said, adding that “there is extreme jeopardy in the world at the moment” and “the business of soldiering is coming back into the nation’s psyche.”
In remarks recorded by Forces News, the four-star general said: “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, and what the nation must need to be prepared to do.”
He did not announce conscription or any mobilisation of civilians, but said public support would be essential and that ultimately “the defence of this nation will rest” on soldiers’ shoulders.
The warning lands as new polling reported by The Telegraph finds half of Britons would not go to war for the UK under any circumstances, with 48 per cent saying they would not join the Army despite threats from Russia, China and Iran.
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