Remembrance: We must remember the cost of war — and bolster our defences to prevent another, writes Lord Richard Dannatt

POLITICS LATEST 'Tone deaf' Labour accused of using Remembrance Sunday to 'pitch EU membership' 1794127629.564 We must remember the terrible cost of war — and bolster our defences to prevent another Labour must demonstrate to our friends and foes we love our country and will fight for her, writes former army chief Lord Richard Dannatt Sign up to the Opinion Newsletter I agree to receive updates and information about my account, the GB News Community, and related products and services from GB News.

Email address Sign up By signing up you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy and Community Rules. Thank you for signing up! See the latest from GB News here . Choose GB News on Google - add us as a preferred source Choose GB News Support GB News Champion free speech and independent journalism while unlocking exclusive benefits. Support us “You will hear of wars, and rumours of wars," wrote Matthew in his Gospel two thousand years ago.

And very sadly he has been proven right. The great hope of the First World War was it would indeed be the war to end. After the slaughter on the Western Front between 1914 and 1918, there was a determination to make it so. Today, it is hard to imagine the tens and hundreds of thousands of young men and women who were prepared to risk and lose their lives for our Nation. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The nearest we have got to visualising that slaughter in recent times was the installation of 888,246 red poppies in the Moat of the Tower of London in 2014.

Each one of those poppies represented a life lost and a family shattered. Today, opinion polls tell us less than half of under-30-year-olds would be prepared to fight for King and Country. Looking at the world around us today, there does not seem to be a more dangerous time in recent history. Red poppies have been used for Remembrance Day since the 1920s | PA Tensions in the Indo-Pacific region over Taiwan, a simmering war in the Middle East with the potential to boil over again at any moment and naked aggression by Russia being contained at great cost by Ukraine all underline Jesus' disciple was right.

Into this mix must be added the unpredictability of Donald Trump, the selfish grandstanding of Vladimir Putin and the cunning calculations of Xi Jinping. With the United States on an isolationist pivot again, we in Europe, without strong leadership from any principal state, feel at the mercy of the prevailing winds. That is why, as we stand in front of our War Memorials this weekend, we need to reflect on the horrors of war – the ugly cost in blood and treasure.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS Nigel Farage reveals Remembrance Sunday plan after huge row over 'Establishment Cenotaph ban' Johnny Mercer brands Remembrance Sunday commemorations 'incredibly hollow' over treatment of veterans Jesus statue smashed and anti-Catholic graffiti sprayed on war memorial ahead of Remembrance Sunday Wreaths are laid at the foot of the Cenotaph after Remembrance Day Sunday | GETTY Inexperienced national leaders with no personal understanding of war and young people who want to test themselves in an ultimate adrenaline situation need to reflect on the reality and cost of war.

When we hear the words of the Kohima Exhortation, “When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today", that is the sacrifice we commemorate as we lay our wreaths and plant our little crosses. I am often asked if today’s soldiers are as good as their forebears. My answer is always "Yes". When properly trained, motivated and well led, today’s soldiers are every bit as brave and committed as previous generations.

Young people today may say they would not fight, but if real danger threatened and our leadership was resolute, I have no doubt that scores would flock to the Colours – and be willing to fight for King and Country. As they stand at the Cenotaph on Sunday morning, our Prime Minister and his Cabinet need to realise they do have the power to prevent future war – they need to increase our expenditure on defence rapidly and demonstrate to our friends and foes alike that we love our country and will fight for her, if necessary.

However, there is a better way – to prepare fully for war now and thereby deter aggression and ensure that we live in peace. We can have both national security and social security, but providing it follows that order, not the other way around. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter Opinion A week of politics, practical problems and family fun Opinion I served in Northern Ireland as a teenager – we must never forget those who fought and the sacrifices they made Analysis Opinion Military superiority over Iran is not enough - politics and diplomacy are just as important to avoid defeat Opinion My grandad knew the true horrors of war - today's politicians have forgotten the lessons of his generation Opinion Veterans deserve better than this disgraceful betrayal - and Reform is ready to put it right Opinion The shocking truth about Henry Nowak’s murder goes far beyond his killer Opinion Three ingredients make a successful royal trip – and the King passed the first two with flying colours Opinion Nigel Farage and Reform UK finally have a chance to show willingness to lead on defence Opinion Labour is playing a dangerous game with immigration – and here's why Opinion Harry and Meghan are deliberately trying to steal the King's spotlight with their pseudo royal tour - they won't succeed Opinion It gives me the raging hump when people talk about banning the flag Opinion America didn’t vote for socialism.

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