18/03/2010
Just weeks after telling the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war that he had increased real terms spending on defence when Chancellor, the Prime Minister was forced into an embarrassing climbdown, admitting in Parliament, that, while our forces were at war, he was actually cutting the defence budget.
The admission by Mr Brown made during Prime Minister's Questions yesterday when the Prime Minister told MPs: "I do accept that in one or two years defence expenditure did not rise in real terms." Figures compiled by the House of Commons Library show that spending fell in three years, including while Britain had troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Spending was cut in real terms by 1.5 per cent, or £400 million, in 1999-2000; by 2.1 per cent, or £700 million, in 2004-05; and by 0.2 per cent, or £100 million, in 2006-07.
Robin Walker, the Parliamentary Candidate for Worcester, spoke to an audience of Conservative supporters earlier this week at the Carlton Club and introduced the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Liam Fox, saying
"The work that Liam has been doing to ensure better support for our troops and restore the military covenant is some of the most important work being done anywhere in the Shadow Cabinet. One of the reasons I want to be elected to Parliament is to support a better deal for our armed forces and ensure we never again get into a situation where lives are being put at risk by a government failing to properly support the brave men and women who serve our country."
Robin has also signed the British Legion's pledge to help service personnel and their families and pledged to do his bit for the Armed Forces and their families. He also backs the Conservative commitment to carry out a Strategic Defence and Security Review to ensure that a Conservative Government's defence spending matches our defence commitments and a Capabilities Review - to determine what it is the MoD and our armed forces need for the future.
Today he said
"It is a sorry state of affairs when the Prime Minister has to be corrected for misleading Parliament and the country about his role in failing to support the armed forces. I am committed to ensuring that people who take risks for our country on the frontline have the support that they need and I am looking forward to working with Liam Fox and the rest of the Conservative team to make sure they get a better deal under the next government. Worcester has shown its great support for our armed forces with welcome home parades and civic services. I, like many people in Worcester, want to make sure that real support is delivered by our next government." |
