Retired SAS commander’s Irish Guards jibe draws commanding officer’s rebuke

Retired SAS commander Richard Williams criticised the appearance of Irish Guards who formed a guard of honour for Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outside Downing Street. His comments, including calling them “unarmed Teletubbies”, drew a sharp response from the regiment’s commanding officer and prompted debate about the soldiers’ role and presentation.

Williams called the photograph a “picture of decline” and compared it with an image of the regiment from 1928. The article places the dispute amid warnings from Army chief General Sir Roly Walker that the public may be asked to accept sacrifices for defence, and discussion of increased military spending: Labour is expected to invest 2.7 per cent of GDP for the rest of the decade, while the 3.5 per cent NATO benchmark is due by 2035 and would require about £25 billion more a year.