British army ‘no longer able to defend UK and its allies, US general warns’

Rishi Sunak aware of ‘urgent need’ to hike spending on army, says Tory defence minister

The British army is no longer regarded as a top-level fighting force, a senior US general reportedly told defence secretary Ben Wallace amid fresh concerns over the UK’s military spending.

Senior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, chair of the defence select committee, said the army was in “dire state” and called on Rishi Sunak’s government to reverse cuts to the army because we are at “war in Europe”.

It follows a warning by defence sources that budget cuts have seen the army decline in the eyes of world leaders. “You haven’t got a tier one – it’s barely tier two,” the US general told Mr Wallace, according to Sky News.