UKNDA: defence policies 'dishonest'
UK National Defence Association has described the defence policies of all three major UK political parties, as set out in their election manifestos, as being inherently dishonest
The three main political parties have all failed to give sufficient attention to the defence of the realm - supposedly "the first priority of government" - in their general election manifestos, according to the UK National Defence Association (UKNDA).
In a total of 308 pages of General Election promises by the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties, barely nine pages are devoted to the state of Britain's Armed Forces. The Conservatives cover defence in four pages of their 118-page manifesto; the Liberal Democrats give the subject the equivalent of three pages out of 112; and in Labour's 78-page manifesto defence warrants only two pages.
"This is an appalling reflection on our politicians and their muddled sense of priorities," says UKNDA spokesman Andy Smith. "Many of these same politicians still claim that 'defence is the first priority of government' – but the reality is exposed by the scant attention given to the subject in their parties' manifestos."
The UKNDA believes that the policies set out in the three manifestos are inherently dishonest. "Both Labour and the Tories see Britain continuing to have a strong global role and a proactive foreign policy," says Andy Smith, "yet neither party indicates how the resources will be made available for our Armed Forces to do this. The fact is that defence has been chronically under-funded since the 1990s, both by Tory and Labour governments, leaving our Forces severely over-stretched and under-equipped. Britain now spends barely 2.2% of GDP on defence, which is woefully inadequate.
