Britain ‘Can’t Even Tell When It’s Raining’: Former Navy Commander Warns UK Unprepared For Global Threats

Alex Phillips speaks to Tom Sharpe OBE, former Royal Navy Commander, about the state of Britain’s naval power as tensions rise globally and questions grow over the UK’s ability to protect its interests at sea. Sharpe warns the public often forgets the Navy’s importance, pointing out that “almost everything you own has been imported from the sea” — yet political support for naval investment typically only appears during wartime.Sharpe insists the current situation is not the fault of the Royal Navy itself, arguing military planners have repeatedly presented proposals to strengthen Britain’s maritime capability. However, he claims those plans have often been ignored by successive governments, leaving the UK struggling to project power or respond quickly to crises.The former commander says Britain has become too comfortable delaying action until it is too late, warning the country has grown so used to holding back resources “for a rainy day” that it now struggles to recognise when a crisis is already underway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.