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 demands clarification on British mission in Afghanistan

Liam Fox has written to Bob Ainsworth, Labour’s Defence Secretary, to ask for clarification on the mission of British troops in Helmand.

In the letter, Liam, the Shadow Defence Secretary, asks Mr. Ainsworth when the British mission in Afghanistan will shift away from frontline combat.

He wrote, “In light of what you said yesterday on the Andrew Marr show, that British troops will eventually begin undertaking a training and mentoring role to the Afghan National Army, and on top of the several enquires made by my team and me regarding the future role of British forces as mentioned in the Prime Minister's statement on 29 April, could you now use this opportunity to expand on your comments and those of the Prime Minster.”

Liam also asked Mr. Ainsworth:

• How many members of the Armed Forces are trained to drive Mastiff and Ridgback vehicles as of 17 August 2009?
• How long does it take to train a driver for each?
• Is the training for Ridgback shorter for those who have already been qualified to drive Mastiffs?

Dealing with injuries is an essential part of the Military Covenant

Liam Fox accused the Government of having lost its “political instincts and sense of direction” after it challenged the compensation paid to two injured veterans.

The Shadow Defence Secretary stressed, “It’s an essential part of the Military Covenant that those injured in the service of their country are dealt with in a consistent and coherent way.”

“Visible and invisible injuries must both be dealt with, and the MoD and other government departments must deal not only with injuries but their consequences.”

Liam called for an urgent review of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme as part of a wider programme looking at the terms and conditions of the Armed Forces.

Fox warns policy failures in Afghanistan must be "rectified"

Liam Fox has called for a more realistic strategy in Afghanistan and attacked the Government for not giving British troops the equipment they need.

The Shadow Defence Secretary first raised the issue of a lack of helicopters in Parliament in December 2005.

And he warned today that Labour’s decision to cut the helicopter budget by £1.4 billion is the “root of many of the problems” British troops are facing in Afghanistan:

“Our brave Armed Forces lack the equipment which give them adequate mobility and protection in an ever more dangerous environment. We hear again and again from commanders in the field that they need helicopters so that they have the agility and flexibility they need, but clearly Tony Blair’s promise that the Armed Forces could have whatever they needed has not been kept.”

Liam also called for a more realistic strategy in Afghanistan and stressed that policy mistakes must be “rectified”:

“We need to have a simpler view of what we're trying to achieve.”

Fox calls for proper review of our defence needs

Liam Fox has attacked Labour’s handling of the defence budget, describing it as “an exercise in irresponsibility and failure of duty”.

The Shadow Defence Secretary said it was “a scandal” that we have not had a Strategic Defence Review since 1998.

He stressed, “As a consequence, our troops struggle with inadequate numbers of helicopters and armoured vehicles in Afghanistan. We are short of infantry and Special Forces. Our soldiers have endured the slight of a part-time Defence Secretary; now they have a part-time procurement minister and a Secretary of State ranked 21st out of 23 in the Cabinet.”

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Liam criticised Labour for saying they would not hold a Strategic Defence Review until after the next election:

“Not for Labour any difficult decisions which may be unpopular; no chance that voters will be told the consequences of its catastrophic economic management. Even by the standards of New Labour, this is an unparalleled exercise in cynicism, manipulation and cowardice.”

Liam promised a Conservative Government would undertake a proper review of our defence needs – and stressed:

“At the next election, there will be real choice. We can change to the principled realism of the Conservatives, or continue with the discredited cynicism and failure of Labour. It will be a stark choice but, for defence in particular, a crucial one.”

We must ensure our 179 service personnel did not die in vain

On the day that British troops withdrew from Basra, Liam Fox stressed our “continuing duty” to ensure that those service personnel who died in Iraq did not do so in vain.

The Shadow Defence Secretary said, “The 179 British servicemen and women who gave their lives in this conflict did so in the hope that all the people of Iraq could enjoy the peace and security that we all too often take for granted.”

He explained that while the Army may be returning from Iraq, the Royal Navy still has a strong presence in the Gulf.

And he stressed that it is “our duty” to ensure that all our injured service personnel are looked after “to the best of our country’s ability”:

“Our soldiers may be leaving Iraq but for those who bear the physical and mental scars, Iraq has not left them.”