Nigel Farage lets rip at ‘terrible state’ of Britain’s defences – ‘basket case!’.TA
Reform UK leader warns the Trump administration’s respect for UK has dwinled and US bombers are pulled out
Nigel Farage gave a dire assessment of UK defences when speaking to the Express (Image: James Veysey/Shutterstock)
Britain’s defences are in a “terrible state” and the Trump administration looks at the country as a “basket case”, Nigel Farage has warned as concern mounts about the US removal of all B-1 bombers from the RAF Fairford air base. The Reform UK leader told the Express: “I have no doubt that why the Americans have pulled out of Fairford is they fear the Iranian cells in Britain. It’s very bad.”
Mr Farage gave a scathing account of how the UK is now viewed by those around the US president, warning: “Americans think we’re a basket case, London’s crime-ridden, and sadly, their respect for us is dwindling and diminishing. Whatever we think of Trump, the fact is our relationship with America is much more important than our relationship with Europe – security, intelligence, everything else.”
Mr Farage fears that terrorists may be able to enter the country by hiding among migrants crossing the Channel. “I have warned for years about terrorists coming into Britain via the small boats,” he said.
Mr Trump confirmed to reporters this week that the bombers had been moved because “there might be a threat”. Mr Farage gave a dire assessment of Britain’s defences, saying: “We’re just in a terrible state.”
He is concerned about the size of the UK armed forces. The UK regular army had just 73,790 soldiers at the start of the year – not enough to fill Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium. The Reform leader is also worried about the threat of prosecution hanging over veterans and the impact it could have on the armed forces.
He said: “We’re in real, real trouble. But it isn’t just about money. It’s about attitude, it’s about thought, it’s about legislation that means servicemen can be prosecuted…This is serious.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey has major decisions to make in this month’s Budget (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
His comments come as the October 28 Budget looms and the Labour Government comes under pressure to boost military funding. Chancellor John Healey helped end Sir Keir Starmer’s time as Prime Minister when he quit as defence secretary in protest at under-funding.
Mr Farage is unequivocal that a Reform UK government would deliver on the NATO commitment to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035. “Absolutely,” he said. “And we must, and we have to.”
In the latest sign that defence is rising up the political agenda as a national concern, the Conservatives have committed to investing in a £10billion “Iron Dome” defence system.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has also voiced her alarm about the US removal from the British airbase, writing in a national newspaper: “Is it any wonder the US are pulling their bombers out of RAF Fairford? They don’t believe the Government is doing what’s necessary to defend our country from hostile states. We have to get serious.”
An MOD spokesperson said: “Around the world, UK personnel are deployed 24/7, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad, and we are transforming our Armed Forces following the Strategic Defence Review, which sets out our path to warfighting readiness. Backed by £298billion over the next four years, we are equipping our forces with the capabilities they need to meet growing threats, ensuring they stand ready to fight and operate across air, land and sea.”
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Log burner and wood burner ban plan handed to Andy Burnham
EXCLUSIVE: A new limit on wood burners is on the table, with stricter rules for fireplace use also in the pipeline.
Fireplace and log-burner rules explained
Proposals which could introduce tighter rules on solid fuel heating and a ban on some older types of log burners and wood burners have been met with a call for more support under new Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Labour has already announced a consultation on its Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), which includes a raft of policies to reduce waste and cut pollution levels. Under the proposals set out in the plan, manufacturers of wood burners would be banned from selling older models unless they meet new standards, though burners already in use would not be retrospectively outlawed.
Smoke Control Areas, which set limits on the types of solid fuel which can be burned in log burners, fireplaces and chimneys in certain areas of England, could also be made even more strict under the proposals. Today, following the start of the new PM’s tenure, industry figures at Heating Equipment Testing and Approval Scheme (HETAS) representing solid fuel burning manufacturers, are urging Mr Burnham to focus on targeted support to get people to ditch their old burners, rather than on tightening rules on new products.
A new ban is set to hit some types of log and wood burner (Image: Getty)
Barry Cope, CEO of HETAS, said: “A wood burner isn’t a fashion accessory you swap out each season – they stay in homes for 15 years or more. Tighter limits on new stoves are welcome, but it will be over a decade before they filter through to most households. If government wants cleaner air sooner, it needs a serious plan for the open fires and outdated stoves in homes right now – including support to upgrade the oldest appliances, guidance on burning better, and education on the importance of chimney sweeping. Without a plan, these proposals are only part of the answer.
“Wood burners aren’t phones – people don’t get a new one every year. Tightening the rules for new appliances will move the needle, but very slowly. Government’s own figures show the gap between old and new appliances is large, and until there is a proper plan for the older ones, the solid fuel burning proposals are only a partial fix.”
He went on to urge government to address labelling for new devices, including advice on how to burn more safely.
Mr Cope added: “A good label should explain the choices people can make and mention the simple fuel and maintenance habits that make all the difference. The messaging is simple. For fuel, burn dry, Ready to Burn wood. For log burners, keep the appliance serviced and the chimney swept. Pair the warning with the fix, and you can make a meaningful difference to what comes out of the chimney.”
The Government has said it will consult on measures to reduce the environmental impact of the public burning wood, such as stoves and bonfires, after it unveiled the revised EIP last December.
Ministers said the consultation will aim to ‘minimise the impact’ of these changes on those who need to burn wood and to respect traditional festivals such as Bonfire Night and Diwali. The Government has tightened the target to cut the emissions of PM2.5 – a fine particulate pollutant linked to asthma, lung disease and heart conditions – by 30% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels.
According to the official figures, a fifth of PM2.5 emissions in 2023 came from domestic combustion.
The EIP states: “The burning of solid fuels is a large contributor to national emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and is a major source of air pollution, especially in urban areas. The World Health Organisation considers PM2.5 the most harmful pollutant to human health (air pollution is responsible for 6.7 million premature deaths every year.
“These particles can enter the bloodstream and internal organs, and there is a growing body of evidence linking exposure with a range of debilitating health conditions, including cardiovascular disease and asthma. We will consult on further measures to reduce emissions from domestic burning [and] consult on new measures that cut emissions from domestic combustion, whilst minimising the impact on those that need to burn and respecting traditional celebratory festivals such as Bonfire Night and Diwali.”
It is understood that the EIP will bring the UK’s PM2.5 standards in line with the EU, which was not the case under the previous EIP, published by the Conservatives in 2023.
Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, whose nine-year-old daughter Ella died from an asthma attack linked to air pollution in 2013, has welcomed the new PM2.5 goal as a “win”.
Ms Kissi-Debrah has been campaigning for “Ella’s Law”, which would require the Government to achieve clean air throughout England by January 1, 2030, setting out a pathway to bring the country in line with World Health Organisation air pollution guidelines.
“It’s not quite Ella’s Law yet, but it’s a step in the right direction,” she told the Press Association.
“So because of that, I’m pleased. Anything that’s going to improve the air, and that means less children are going to be hospitalised and less children are going to die, I am always going to be for it.”
