British prime minister warns of 'axis of authoritarian states' in pre
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warned of a dangerous future for the U.K. in a pitch to voters Monday as he fights to hang on to power ahead of a national election that could see Conservatives ousted after 14 years.
Sunak’s speech repeatedly attacked Labour leader Keir Starmer, saying he lacked plans to deal with security risks from what he described as an “axis of authoritarian states” that he named as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea.
Sunak said his pledge to increase military spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product by 2030 better positions his party to confront that threat. The war in Ukraine, Iranian proxies attacking ships in the Red Sea and Chinese cyberattacks aimed at members of Parliament are some of those risks, he said.
“Over the next few years, from our democracy to our society to our economy to the hardest questions of war and peace, almost every aspect of our lives is going to change,” Sunak said. “How we act in the face of those changes, not only to keep people safe and secure but to realize the opportunities too, will determine whether or not Britain will succeed in the years to come.”