‘We need to increase our spending on defence’ says former head of British army

As Britain is drawn further into the war in the Middle East, MPs are warning that the government must address shortages in military personnel and equipment. If not, they say the armed forces will not be ready to fight a “high-intensity war”.

The Defence Select Committee says the military is “consistently over stretched” – with people leaving faster than they can be recruited. The Ministry of Defence says increasing recruitment and improving retention are absolute priorities. But just last month General Sir Patrick Sanders, the head of the Army, called for a volunteer “citizen army” ready to fight a land war.

Lord Dannatt is a former head of the British Army.