BRITAIN will not be safe with Sir Keir Starmer at the helm, Rishi Sunak dramatically declared in a major election speech today.
The Prime Minister has also warned European judges that they are thwarting his plan for Rwanda – because he will leave their court if necessary to stop the ships.
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Rishi Sunak gives a big speech today Credit: Getty
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued several threats to the West since invading UkraineCredit: Getty
In a highly political speech this morning, Mr Sunak opened up the dividing lines with Labor ahead of voters going to the polls later this year.
Describing global threats as the most dangerous point since the Cold War, he described his rival as a national security risk.
He said: “We will keep this country safe and Keir Starmer’s actions show that he will not be able to do that.”
Angered by Labour’s refusal to deliver on its promise to increase defense spending, he said: “What do you think Putin thinks when he sees that?
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“That he thinks the West is not ready to make the tough decisions to invest in their security.”
Mr Sunak also said the Labor leader – who has vowed to end the scheme with Rwanda – would not solve the canal crisis by “tinkering”.
Firing the first cannon in a long election campaign, he also:
- INSISTED the Tories CAN STILL win the next general election
- He THROWN down the gauntlet to Starmer for election TV debates
- BE WARNED, the next few years will be “some of the greatest
- dangerous,” as he outlined the threats posed to the UK by Iran, Russia and China
- He ACKNOWLEDGED the challenges posed by new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, but said they would also offer great opportunities for the future
- BLASTED Labour, claiming Sir Keir Starmer’s party has no plan for the border, the energy sector or the economy
- WELCOME the deportation plan from Rwanda, stressing that he will not let the European Court of Human Rights stand in his way
- ATTACKED by the “ideological fervor” of those who want Britain to implement green policies “regardless of the cost of disruption” to people’s lives
- HE HAS vowed to end degree “heists” and expand apprenticeships as he says he wants to build an education system that is “truly world-class”.
Mr Sunak took aim at the so-called CRINKs – China, Russia, Iran and North Korea – as an epoch-defining threat to the West.
Positioning himself as the best person to guide the country through troubled waters, he said: “There are storms ahead. The dangers are all too real.
“But Britain can feel proud again. Britain can feel confident again. Because with bold action and a clear plan, we can and will create a secure future.”
Court warning
The prime minister blasted illegal immigration as the “defining challenge of our age” and said he was prepared to fight the European Convention on Human Rights to get the flights up and running.
He said: “The global displacement of 100 million people is the new and defining challenge of our time. But we can and will protect ourselves from illegal migration.
“Because only we conservatives have the strength to challenge conventions and do something different about it.
“Petranje, it’s just not going to work. That’s why we’re pioneering the Rwanda scheme. And when people see that if they come here illegally, they’ll be quickly detained and removed, they’ll be deterred from making that dangerous journey. Stopping the boats and saving thousands of lives.
At a Glance: Key Points in Rishi Sunaka’s Main Course
Written by MARTINA BET, political correspondent
- The Prime Minister began his speech by insisting he was confident the IPAK Tories could win the next general election.
- Reiterating that Britain will go to the polls “at some point in the second half of the year”, he said: “It will be a choice between the future and the past. Now I remain confident that my party can prevail.”
- The Prime Minister highlighted the threats posed to the United Kingdom by Iran, Russia and China. He declared that the next few years will be “some of the most dangerous”, warning that “the dangers that threaten our country are real” and that they are “increasing”.
- Rishi Sunak argues that people’s sense of “insecurity” is heightened by concerns about new technologies such as artificial intelligence. He also spoke of children being exposed to “abuse, sexualized content and even self-harm online” and how voters want a leader who “understands these dangers”.
- The Prime Minister insisted that artificial intelligence also offers opportunities and that new technologies can do for “the 21st century what the steam engine and electricity did for the 19th century”.
- Mr Sunak also stepped up his attacks on Labour, claiming that despite having “14 years to think about the future, the party has “nothing to say about it”. He says Sir Keir Starmer’s party has no plan for the border, the energy sector or the economy either.
- The Prime Minister welcomed his deportation plan from Rwanda, saying Britain “can and will protect itself” against illegal migration. He says there may be “hot flashes” with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) ahead, but he won’t let it get in the way of his plan.
- The Prime Minister slammed the “ideological fervor” of those who want Britain to pursue green policies “regardless of the cost of disruption” to people’s lives.
- On education, Mr Sunak said he wanted to build a system that was “truly world class”. He claims he will abolish “hijacked” degrees and expand apprenticeships
“I know that our international frameworks are outdated. So there could be critical points with the ECHR and if the Strasbourg Court makes me choose between the ECHR and the security of this country, I will choose the security of our country every time.”
Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth hit back, calling Sunak’s speech “another desperate” reset.
He said: “After 14 years of leaving the country less safe at home and abroad, the Tories have lost the right to talk about security.
“Millions of people are paying more on their mortgages, crime goes unsolved, dangerous prisoners are released early, the armed forces are depleted and the NHS is on its knees.
“That is the record of this government and the only way to turn the page and end the chaos is a Labor government.”
Mr Sunak accused Sir Keir of seeking “power at any cost” without principle.
He said: “Keir Starmer has gone from hugging Jeremy Corbyn to Natalie Elphicke.”
Mr Sunak claimed the next five years would be among the most dangerous Britain has known.
We will keep this country safe and Keir Starmer’s actions show that he will not be able to do that
Rishi Sunak
The Prime Minister claimed the UK was at a crossroads, facing an unprecedented onslaught of threats from tyrant Vladimir Putin in Russia, Xi Jinping in China and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Iran.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has fueled fears of global war, but ongoing conflicts involving Iran and the Middle East, China and Taiwan and North Korea have the world holding its breath.
Now, in a keynote speech in London, Mr Sunak declared that “almost every aspect of our lives will change”.
He said: “I feel a deep sense of urgency – because more will change in the next five years than in the last 30.
“I am convinced that the next few years will be some of the most dangerous our country has ever known.”
Axis of evil
The Prime Minister described China, Russia, North Korea and Iran as an axis of authoritarian states that threaten the UK.
But he insisted: “I have bold ideas that can change our society for the better.”
Mr Sunak has billed himself as a national savior in a bid to avoid defeat in this month’s local elections for the struggling Conservatives.
As well as threats from foreign powers, he pointed to the rise of global migration and sectarian groups trying to undermine British values as major challenges ahead.
The Prime Minister has vowed to protect the UK from a global rise in immigration and “those who seek to undermine our shared values and identities”.
Rebuilding national confidence and pride was cited as key to prosperity and security – as was a pledge to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP.
And he said: “At heart, we are a nation of optimists.” We are not blind to the challenges or threats we face.
“We simply have an innate belief that we can overcome them, whatever they are, as we have done so many times in our history.”
Iran’s attack with 350 missiles was the act of a ‘despotic regime’
Just last month, MI5 warned that Russia, China and Iran were targeting British universities.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum and Acting Chief Executive of the National Cyber Security Center Felicity Oswald have warned that hostile states pose a threat to national security.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer will talk to Labour’s expanded group of elected mayors to develop what he calls the gold standard for growing local economies.
Ahead of the meeting, he said: “My Labor government would rebuild our economy hand in hand with local leaders.
“That’s why boosting growth in every region will be at the top of the agenda for our decentralization plans.
“We will promote growth in our towns, cities and regions.”
An increase in British defense spending
Last month, Rishi Sunak said defense spending would reach a target of 2.5 percent of GDP by the end of the decade.
The Prime Minister unveiled a plan to raise annual money for the armed forces to £87bn by 2030 – a £23bn increase on the current budget.
He hailed the “biggest national defense boost in a generation” in the fight against the new axis of Russia, Iran and China.
The announcement comes after he already pledged an additional £500 million in military aid to Ukraine.
The prime minister warned Vladimir Putin that “he will not stop at the Polish border” if he is not defeated.
Speaking after key security talks in Poland, Mr Sunak said: “In a world that is the most dangerous since the end of the Cold War, we cannot be complacent.
“As our adversaries agree, we must do more to defend our country, our interests and our values.”
“Today is a turning point for European security and an important moment in the defense of the United Kingdom.”
A gradual increase to spending of 2.5 per cent of GDP is expected to cost an extra £75bn over six years.
Mr Sunak insisted the plan was “fully funded” without any increases in borrowing or debt.
This includes nearly £3 billion from a 70,000-person cut in the civil service.
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Mr Sunak will also speak about the danger posed by Iran under Ayatollah Khamenei amid rising tensions in the Middle EastCredit: Alamy
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Mr Sunak will warn of the security threat posed by the Chinese – pictured, their President Xi JinpingCredit: EPA
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