Britain 'not prepared' for WW3 as army chief warns 'Russia is serious, we are not'

Former British Army chiefs have issued a stark warning over a lack of urgency in the defence spending plans revealed in this week's Budget. This follows Defence Secretary Wes Streeting's insistence that the Government is doing "as much as we can, as fast as we can" to boost defence funding. During Wednesday's Budget, Chancellor John Healey plugged a £4.7 billion black hole in the defence investment plan, a blueprint that takes Britain's defence spending to 2.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027.

He also pledged to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 as a stepping stone towards fulfilling Britain's commitment to Nato to reach 3.5% by 2035. However, the Chancellor confirmed that details of where this money will come from won't be revealed until the spending review, currently scheduled for next autumn. Lord Dannatt, who served as chief of the general staff between 2006 and 2009, told The Telegraph: "Once again the Government is using 'creative accounting' instead of finding real money.

" Russia is serious, we are not. Deterring aggression by being prepared for war is the best way to keep this country safe. Find the money now, don't kick the can down the track for another year." General Sir Peter Wall, who held the position from 2010 to 2014, cautioned that the armed forces are "hobbled by dismal resources" and stated that investment to rebuild them is "long overdue". "3% by 2030 won't deliver proper capability uplift much before 2035.

We have no idea how or when that money will be spent. It's an aspiration, not a commitment. The lack of strategic urgency is shocking and will only embolden our opponents." Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, warned MPs that waiting any longer for further details was unacceptable. He argued that key decisions on defence spending have "lamentably been delayed" until next year's spending review, insisting there is a "cost to inaction".

Mr Streeting hit back on BBC Breakfast , stating: "I think we are doing as much as we can, as fast as we can. The biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War." He also hinted that other areas of Government spending could face tough restrictions in order to bolster defence funding.