conservative leadership - Members' vote

Defence UK congratulates The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP and The Rt Hon Liz Truss MP on being selected by Conservative Members of Parliament as candidates for the leadership of the Conservative Party and premiership of the United Kingdom. 
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During the coming weeks we hope to hear a lot more from both of these candidates on how they will rebuild and strengthen the United Kingdom's defence and security capabilities. We look forward in particular to hearing each candidate set out the timetable that their administration will follow for the vital expansion of Britain's Armed Forces, in light of the growing threats to the international rules-based order from rogue states such as Russia, China and Iran.

Whilst setting out a plan for the stewardship of the UK economy is a priority for our next Prime Minister, equally important is the urgent need to address the defence and security of Britain and the Western Alliance at this critical time. Economic success and effective defence go hand in hand.

Andrew Smith, Director, Defence UK

​21st July 2022

Conservative Leadership election

It is heartening that several of the candidates for the leadership of the governing party have pledged to increase defence spending if they are elected, but here at Defence UK we hope that they understand the extent of underfunding that currently exists across all three Services. We have tried to make the Government, and Members of Parliament of all parties, aware of the problem over recent years, and perhaps now at last the message is getting through. Let us hope so. Repairing the damage that has been done to Britain's Armed Forces by years of under-funding (by governments of both major parties) is far more important, and urgent, for the next Prime Minister than cutting taxes.

We were also very pleased to hear one of the leadership candidates, former defence minister Penny Mordaunt, calling for the formation of a Civil Defence Force. The previous Civil Defence Corps stood down in 1968 but here we are, more than five decades later, with increasing threats to the UK's national security, as well as a multiplicity of civil emergencies for which we usually nowadays turn to our Armed Forces, so it makes sense to reintroduce a Civil Defence organisation that is capable of responding to such situations. Defence UK therefore welcomes and supports Penny Mordaunt's proposal for a CD Force.

Andrew Smith, Director, Defence UK

13th July 2022
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MISSION STATEMENT:

“Defence UK is an independent pressure group that campaigns for a strong and well-resourced Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, to ensure the security of the United Kingdom, her Sovereign Territories, trade and commerce, and to protect her citizens wherever they may be. We also call for a greater commitment by the UK Government to the nation's defence industries, and to non-military services such as the Merchant Navy, Coastguard, Border Control and Homeland Security that are essential to the Defence of the Realm.”
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