It’s been a busy 48 hours for Defence. As Chairman of the Defence Select Committee I have been keenly pushing the Committee’s report “Ready for War” which advocates improved readiness in our Armed Forces to keep us safe, deter aggression and reduce the risk of conflict. I have been actively discussing with Government the importance of national security and how we need to improve our national effort and help galvanise NATO allies to do the same against the backdrop of an increasingly dangerous world.
I appeared on LBC this morning to welcome the significant additional investment the Government has announced and attended the Statement this afternoon.
There is no more important duty on the state than to keep its citizens safe and given the global context we and our allies need to increase our commitment. The scale and focus of the investment is very welcome and we need allies and industry to also rise to the challenge – which this announcement will certainly encourage.