Defence and security is a major election issue in the UK for the first time in decades, with vote frontrunner committing to Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent.
Sir Keir Starmer, polled to be the likely next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom this summer with the nation’s July general election, has joined a growing chorus of voices in Western nations saying the post-Cold War era is now over. Speaking while flanked by military veterans, the left-wing Labour leader enunciated his position that the world is becoming less safe while criticising the incumbent Conservative Party government for having run the military down to historic lows.
In recent memory the UK Labour Party has been led by a hard-left faction under Jeremy Corbyn which was passionately against mainstays of British defence including the nuclear deterrent, and much of the language in Starmer’s announcements on defence were expressed in the language of him leading a “changed” Labour party. Despite the sometimes staunch rhetoric on the importance of the military and nuclear weapons, the left-wing leader had no substantial replies when challenged on strongly anti-nuclear deterrent politicians holding top positions within his party, though.
Starmer said: “sadly, the world we live in today is perhaps more dangerous and volatile than at any time since [the Second World War]”, and for him the Russian invasion of Ukraine means “the post-war era is over, and a new age of insecurity has begun”.
‘Axis of Authoritarian States’: UK PM Sunak Warns of Most Dangerous Times Since Cold Warhttps://t.co/IDkTn5vEkh
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In striking language for the leader of a party that would more instinctively campaign on issues like social packages and healthcare reform, Starmer told the audience that: “National security is the most important issue of our times” and “after 14 years of the Tories, we are less safe and less secure… we have the…