Security spending essential to maintain partnerships

Commenting on the Commons Defence Committee report, which states that the defence budget should rise from 2% of GDP (£40bn) to 3% (£60bn), Liberal Democrat Armed Forces Spokesperson, Jamie Stone MP, said: "The UK must be able to defend itself and the territories for which it has responsibility. It is unacceptable that our armed forces have been so diminished. "Not only is an adequate budget of vital importance to our security, but so too are our key allies in NATO and the EU. Many of the security challenges the UK faces are shared by these partners.  "If this Conservative government is serious about our security and defence capabilities then not only must they commit to an adequate budget plan, but also to strengthening our key international partnerships."