SAS veteran Matthew Hellyer has told GB News he would never go to battle for Britain while Sir Keir Starmer is in charge.
In the shocking admission, Hellyer said the PM is “ripping Britain apart” as speculation mounts over whether British troops will be deployed in Ukraine.
The veteran with over 25 years of military experience said he would think twice before helping the war-stricken nation.
“I wouldn’t encourage any soldiers to go out there and pick weapons up until we get a legal framework in place that protects our servicemen and women doing their job”, he said on GB News.
Matthew Hellyer made the shock admission on GB News
PA / GB NEWS
“We have court cases going on now from Northern Ireland, special service soldiers and other soldiers facing possible court case over action they took under the rules of engagement they were given which were legalised by lawyers and given the go-ahead by government.
“This is no doubt the weakest government we’ve had since Margaret Thatcher. If we had Mrs Thatcher back in the seat, the army would be full to the brim, but Starmer is ripping us apart.
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Matthew Hellyer joined Martin Daubney on GB News
GB NEWS
“Not a chance I would bear arms for that man.”
Martin Daubney said the comment cannot have been an easy one for Hellyer to make given his previous efforts for the flag.
“It’s not just my decision, it’s the decision of the friends and families of those that have served in the armed forces”, he continued.
“We are constantly getting chastised. There’s going to be training now for these possible deployments.
The army may be sent to Ukraine British Army“If one of the soldiers dies in training, Starmer has already said he will tax the lump sum families receive. Where is the incentive for our soldiers to go and fight for King and country?
“Fighting for this country used to mean something. It is ingrained in my heart. I have faced enemy on many battlefields, proudly so.
“Why would I want to fight for this country when I know that as soon as I come home, I am facing a judge and a court case?
“It’s just not on.”
MPs could be about to have a say on whether troops are deployed in Eastern Europe
GETTYIt comes after Starmer declared he is "ready and willing" to send British troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, with MPs expected to vote on the deployment.
"I do not say that lightly. I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm's way," Starmer wrote in The Daily Telegraph.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander indicated that Parliament would get a vote on any troop deployment, describing this as "normal" practice.
The European Union is considering deploying between 25,000 and 30,000 troops to Ukraine as part of a ceasefire agreement.
France and Britain are leading the discussions, which involve at least a dozen nations including Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, and Nordic and Baltic states.
France has indicated it could contribute around 10,000 troops to the force, which would be backed by additional forces stationed outside Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called talk of deploying peacekeepers "premature".
