Conservative Way Forward, the leading Thatcherite, grassroots grouping within the Conservative Party, today continued its ‘Defence First’ campaign with the publication of the first in a series of policy papers highlighting the dangers to Britain’s security and international standing of further cuts to Britain’s already severely depleted armed forces.

The policy paper ‘Navy Under Pressure – What Future for the Fleet?’ was written by Dr Julian Lewis MP, Shadow Armed Forces Minister from 2002 to 2004 and from 2005 to 2010 and currently a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee. In it he concludes:

“If things go on as at present, by the time of an election in 2015 all three Services will have taken a financial hammering. If we are content to accept the decline of the United Kingdom to the level of a typical NATO Continental member, and to adjust our place in the world accordingly, then we shall continue to spend about 2% of GDP on Defence. If, conversely, we wish to fight international terrorism, prevent civilians being massacred, guard our airspace and our sea-lanes, and deter anyone from threatening us with a nuclear weapon, we shall have to spend significantly more. I do not believe that the value of Defence is underrated by the public. All too often there is a failure by politicians to lay the issues before the people and to trust their judgement. Nevertheless, there are plenty of strong believers in Defence in both the Conservative and the Labour parties. They should work together to promote it. That, indeed, would be a coalition worth having.”

Mark Allatt, General Secretary of Conservative Way Forward added:

“The primary duty of government is defence of the nation, yet for far too long successive governments, of all persuasions, have taken the professionalism of our armed forces for granted - and run them into the ground. It cannot be long before inadequate British forces suffer a military defeat; the negative effect on our national psyche, standing in the world and therefore economic well-being would be incalculable.

“Whilst Conservative Way Forward supports the Coalition Government’s commitment to reduce the size of the state, the place to start is not with our front-line defences but with the other areas of today’s bloated public sector. CWF urges David Cameron to stand by his 2005 commitment to our nine principles which include, ‘security: the first duty of the state is to provide external and internal defence of the citizenry’ and to reconsider the terms of the Strategic Defence & Security Review. The electorate will not treat kindly any government which plays fast and loose with our national security.”