Armed Forces are 'ready to fight tonight' if needed, defence secretary says

Watch ITV News Correspondent Neil Connery's interview with Defence Secretary John Healey in full

The Armed Forces "will be, if needed, ready to fight tonight" the defence secretary has said, as he acknowledged "we are definitely in a more dangerous world".

John Healey told ITV News that the Armed Forces have struggled with funding cuts for years but in the face of "increasing threats" against the UK, they remain "among the best in the world".

"They're respected across the world for their all round professionalism and they will be, if needed, ready to fight tonight," he said.

"But I can also say to you, in the words of a conservative predecessor of mine, over the last 14 years, they've been hollowed out and underfunded and that as a new government, we have a job to do to rebuild the strength of our forces, to play our bigger part in NATO, because that's the way that we deter aggression and threats in the future.

"And I'm determined that we'll do that."

Healey's comments came as he announced thousands of military homes will be brought back into public ownership at a cost of almost £6 billion – an issue for which he said he felt a "personal sense of mission".

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has pledged to buy back 36,347 homes from property firm Annington, reversing what Healey called the "dreadful deal" by the Conservatives to privatise the service family estate in the run-up to the 1997 general election.

It would also mean ending the £230 million annual rental cost of the homes, officials said, and allowing the MoD to demolish some to build newer accommodation.

The arrangement with Annington meant homes were rented at a discount from market rate but the taxpayer was responsible for maintenance costs – and improvements could potentially push up rents.

The process of taking the homes back into public ownership began under the Tories, with the MoD winning a legal battle in 2023 to take some of the properties back.

Healey said: "In all the visits that I've done ... some of the things that have made me most angry is spending time with military families in housing which no one should be living in, least of all those who are willing to serve our country and make the sacrifices that keep all of us safe."

"In a time when we face increasing threats, we rely more and more on those who serve in our military," he added. "And this is exactly the time to say, as a country, we must renew the nation's contract with those who serve."

On rising tensions between Ukraine and Russia, the Healey defended the Ukrainians' claimed fatal bombing of Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, declaring him a "bad man" – but he did not directly say whether the UK knew of the planned assassination.

His response was markedly different to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who earlier would not say whether he was comfortable with his killing, and said "we must stand with Ukraine".

Healey, when asked if he felt the nature of the killing was justified, he replied: "Well, make no mistake, this was a bad man.

"We have evidence and the Russians have admitted that he and his unit were responsible for the deployment of chemical weapons on the battlefield.

"And indeed, as a government, in October, we sanctioned him and his unit for exactly that. It breaks all international law."

"This is something for the Ukrainians. They declared him a target, they've taken responsibility for the action," he replied when asked if the UK had any knowledge this attack was going to take place.

"But this is a man who has been responsible for some of the worst breaches of international law in deploying chemical weapons against people on the battlefield."

Following the toppling of Bashar al-Assad's brutal reign in Syria, the world is now watching carefully the immediate power shift to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which is banned in the UK due to its past association with al Qaida.

When asked if the UK government believes it is playing its cards right by having discussions with HTS, the defence secretary said "when there is a chance for a fresh settlement and there's a chance for a stable peace".

He added: "The reason that we have, at a high level now, had early discussions with the new emerging interim government is we want to try and play our part alongside allies to help see Syria through a stable and secure transition.

"And we want to try and make sure that this new government sticks to the promises that it's made.

"So a future for Syria that respects everyone in the country, that allows the country to recover and rebuild, and above all, makes the country a place that those who have fled Syria in the past under the brutal Assad regime feel that they can and they want to return to help rebuild Syria for the future."

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