'Our nation is going to need you to fight': Army chief warns Britons to brace for 'sacrifices' as war era returns

General Sir Roly Walker, Chief of the General Staff, spoke to 700 soldiers at Catterick Garrison, cautioning that Britain's political leaders will "very soon" hold an honest public conversation about war, risk and what national defence will require of ordinary citizens. He said the public must place defence and security at the top of its priorities, and cannot simply watch events unfold from a distance. His comments come as Labour continues to resist committing to higher defence spending targets, with the UK's budget expected to plateau at 2.7 per cent of GDP.

Walker warned that 'extreme jeopardy' now grips the world and 'the business of soldiering is coming back into the nation's psyche.'

Polling suggests up to half of Britons would refuse to fight under any circumstances, though a majority support increased defence spending.

Hitting Nato's 3.5 per cent GDP target by 2035 would require roughly £25bn a year in additional funding that Labour has yet to commit.