Vernon Coaker MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to today’s Defence Select Committee’s ‘Rethinking Defence to meet new threats’ report,  said:

“This report lays bare the mistakes made by the Government in its Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010. Their financially-driven review was devoid of strategic thinking, leaving gaps in our military capabilities and making it more difficult for our Armed Forces to defend the UK and protect our interests in an increasingly unstable and dangerous world

“The report emphasises the need for an open debate about the defence and security challenges facing the UK and the importance of a strategically-driven SDSR that properly equips the Armed Forces, and that is what the next Labour Government is committed to.”

ENDS