Former SAS-trained bodyguard Graham Yuill has moaned about the ‘shoestring’ amount of money the Ministry of Defence has pledged to increase their spending on defence by
A former SAS-trained bodyguard has expressed his disappointment at the 2.5% increase in defence spending, warning that it leaves the UK as “sitting ducks” by attempting to manage “on a shoestring”.
Graham Yuill, 67, who spent nine years working as a specialist bodyguard in the military and now operates as a security consultant, labelled the announcement of a 2.5% budget increase for defence as “shocking”.
This equates to a £2.2 billion boost in Ministry of Defence spending. However, Graham, who served in the Ulster Defence Regiment and Royal Military Police until his retirement in 1980, believes it’s insufficient.
He argues that anything less than a 5% increase is trying to safeguard the nation “on a shoestring”, following years of cuts. He stated: “It’s a dangerous world we live in now, not just Russia, but Iran, China and North Korea are threats.
“We have closed down a lot of RAF bases and we need to open those back up. Without more spending for defence, we’re sitting ducks. Those in charge have to wake up and realise where the threat is coming from.
“We can’t do it on a shoestring when we’re talking about national security. You have to do it right or not at all.”
Graham, who currently works as a security consultant, warned that a mere 2.5 per cent budget increase could place the nation in “grave danger”.
He suggested that we need to strive to match what other forces are investing in their defence. The veteran described it as “shocking” that this was not reflected in the Spring Statement.
Trained by the renowned Special Air Service (SAS) back in the 1970s, he firmly believes Britain has “the best military instructors in the world”, but only if sufficient investment is made.
He stressed: “This is our country and our children’s future. If we have to cut funding from elsewhere then we should do that. We have to invest in us.”
It comes as a decorated former tank commander warned Britain’s armed forces could become a “worldwide laughing stock” if filled with “pampered” Gen-Z conscripts.
Retired Sergeant Matthew Baldwin stated that the “snowflake generation wouldn’t just struggle in the cold but quickly melt away”. He suggested that most would fail to adapt to military life, having spent their childhoods engrossed in TikTok and smartphones.
He warned that if the UK introduced compulsory conscription to bolster its dwindling professional ranks, its army would become a “target for ridicule”, emboldening Britain’s foes and damaging its credibility as a credible military power.