John Baron MP to call for higher defence spending in House of Commons debate

MP highlights tangible and intangible benefits of strong defence

Tomorrow John Baron MP is sponsoring a debate on defence spending in the House of Commons. He will argue that we need to reverse spending cuts, and that, as we approach the next Strategic Defence and Security Review, Parliament needs to make clear that defence and security must be given precedence over other priorities. He will urge Parliament to be more critical of Government on this issue of signal importance.

John will say,

“This Government’s policy of cutting defence spending is dangerous and short-sighted. In this increasingly uncertain world, we can not keep cutting if we wish to defend our interests and play a global rôle.”

“China’s massive defence spending increases, and a resurgent Russia, remind us of the need to ensure we are best prepared with our allies to meet any challenges. Furthermore, our position at the top table, and as a global player, is strongly influenced by our commitment to defence.”

“We must increase our defence spending in response to a changing world for which we are increasingly ill-equipped. Strong defence is a virtue in itself. It does much to prevent conflict, and it can also be cheaper – nothing is as expensive as war.”

Ends

Word Count: 218

Date: 18^th June 2014

Notes to Editors:

• The defence spending debate is the second of the two back-bench debates on Thursday afternoon. A full transcript will be available online from Hansard on Friday morning.