Tugendhat defends defence policies amid recruitment woes

You've got to look at defence in the round and defence starts all the way from our nuclear deterrent and our our aircraft and our ships at sea all the way through to our armed forces. And this is where we've made some really serious investments. If you look at the investments into our nuclear technology, that has been huge. And if you look at the commitments to 2 1/2 percent by 20-30, we are the only party that has made that commitment. Now today, of course, on Armed Forces Day, it's also worth remembering that recruitment isn't just about those who are serving today, but those who went before and as a veteran myself. You know, I know that looking after veterans is one way of making sure that you're standing with soldiers, sailors and air personnel who are serving today. And that's a really important distinction as well. We've got the Office for Veterans Affairs, we've got Johnny Mercer, who as Cabinet Minister for Veteran Affairs, has demonstrated the commitment that we've made to veterans across this country. And sadly, that's in marked contrast to Labour and others who would do away with the Cabinet Minister for Veterans Affairs undermining the amazing successes that Johnny's had in the last few years. Look, you're never going to hear me arguing against increasing the size of defence. As somebody who served in the Army for many, many years, I saw the amazing opportunities it gave to young men and women across our country and the way in which they were able to stand up and serve and develop new skills, but also to protect us all. But this isn't just about personnel, it's also about kitting equipment. And if you look at the changes that James Cartilage has made in our procurement processes, you're seeing real changes that are delivering kit and equipment much faster. Look at Dragon Fire, this extraordinary laser beam that can bring down drones and missiles from a hell of a distance. This is a phenomenal success and demonstrates that we are updating our technology to be at the cutting edge of all defence equipment around the world.