John Baron MP urges Prime Minister’s statement over defence spending

MP presses Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman MP in Commons over need for an apology

Today in the House of Commons during Business Questions, John Baron MP pressed the Rt. Hon. Harriet Harman MP, Leader of the House, over the Prime Minister’s admission yesterday that there had been real term cuts to defence spending during this Labour Government – despite previous denials to the contrary. The Prime Minister refused to apologise. John has been pressing the Government over equipment shortages for our troops in theatre for a number of years.

John said:

“Given the Prime Minister told the Chilcot Inquiry the military was given all it wanted and defence spending rose in real terms year on year, and that we now know this is not true and there were cuts and troops suffered as a result particularly from the lack of helicopters, will the Leader of the House now make time for the Prime Minister to come to this place to make a statement to apologise and explain his actions, for he owes it to our troops?”

Harriet Harman MP said the Prime Minister was not going to add anything more to what he said yesterday, and this was not well received by the House.

John added afterwards:

“This issue is important and will not go away. The majority of our casualties in Afghanistan have been through roadside bombs. Too many troops have been transported by vehicles when helicopters should have been used. When I served in Crossmaglen, Northern Ireland we almost always used helicopters.”

“The Prime Minister’s credibility over defence spending has gone up in smoke following his admission yesterday. The very least he can now do is come back to the House, account for his actions and apologise. It is the very least he can do for our troops and their families.”