Radical reform needed at the MoD

In a major speech this morning, Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox set out how a Conservative Government will reform the Ministry of Defence.

He also spoke about the importance of our mission in Afghanistan. "Failure in Afghanistan would have profound geopolitical implications", he said.

"The damage to the cohesion, confidence and credibility of NATO would be immense and it would provide a shot in the arm for jihadists worldwide".

Fox outlined three key priorities for the next Conservative Government:

"First, launch a wide ranging and detailed strategic defence review.

Secondly, we will simultaneously conduct a capabilities review. There are questions for all three services as to whether they have an over abundance of senior posts. How do we stop the trend where the military seems consistently to shrink while the civil service keeps growing?

And finally, we will perform a root and branch reform of the procurement process. Reforming the procurement process will be no easy task. In fact, it will probably prove to be the greatest challenge in terms of increasing the efficiency of the MoD. All options for reform, no matter how radical, are on the table. "

He added that the MoD needed "new vision, fresh thinking, and new leadership" that only a new Government can provide. "Increasingly the public are wakening up to the sorry state of defence under Labour. It is likely to be an election issue for the first time since the end of the Cold War."

Fox attacks Labour for suppressing defence review

Liam Fox has called on the Government to publish the Bernard Gray review on defence procurement immediately.

The Shadow Defence Secretary stressed the review was a “damning indictment of twelve years of incompetence”.

And he warned, “By trying to suppress this report, the Prime Minister has demonstrated that he cares more about the reputation of Labour than he does about the wellbeing of the Armed Forces.”

Liam stressed the Government has “a moral duty” to ensure that our Armed Forces have the equipment they need – but he warned that instead we have “a catalogue of bureaucracy, incompetence and timewasting”:

“Gordon Brown, as Chancellor, was never willing to fund Tony Blair’s wars; now that he is Prime Minister, he is trying to cover up his mistakes.”

Liam highlighted the importance of holding regular defence reviews, and said that a Conservative government would legislate, if necessary, to ensure that they happen in every Parliament.