Vernon Coaker, Labour's Shadow Defence Secretary, commenting on reports that the Tories are ducking their defence spending pledge commitment said:

“The Defence Secretary spent yesterday playing politics in the gutter, trying to smear Labour with lies. Today he’s shown it was just a desperate attempt to divert from the truth: the Tories’ extreme spending plans will mean reductions that are unprecedented, deeply destructive, and close to impossible to deliver. Further cuts to all three Armed Services are inevitable under the Tory plans.”