• Davey on Strategic Defence Review: get to 3% faster and reverse troop cuts
• Submarine announcement could be “damp squib” without funding ambition – Lib Dems
• Davey on Starmer interview: “concerning lack of urgency”
• Starmer’s comments on Winter Fuel U-turn shows “the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing”
• Revealed: Armed forces have shrunk by 2,000 since Labour Government elected

Davey on Strategic Defence Review: get to 3% faster and reverse troop cuts

• Ed Davey brands 2034 target for 3% defence spending as “far too late” and urges cross-party talks to “move faster”.
• Lib Dems press for full reversal of Conservatives’ troop cuts as essential step.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has said that “page one” of the Review must include a cast-iron commitment to “boost defence spending to 3% of GDP as soon as possible”.

He said that the 2034 timeline set out by John Healey was “far too late” and showed “a complete lack of urgency” from the Government. The Liberal Democrats have urged cross-party talks to move faster given the threats faced with war on the continent.

The Liberal Democrats first called for a clear roadmap to 3% in January.

The Liberal Democrats are also calling for the Government to commit to a full reversal of the Conservatives’ cut of 10,000 troops in today’s Strategic Defence Review, adding that this is essential to deliver for Britain’s security in an increasingly unstable world.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

With Putin waging war, Trump undermining NATO and conflicts raging, the Strategic Defence Review must deliver for our armed forces and for Britain’s security in an increasingly unstable world. Anything less would be a dereliction of duty.

Page one of the Review must include a firm commitment to boost defence spending to 3% of GDP as soon as possible. 2034 is far too late given the threats we face, and shows a complete lack of urgency. I urge the Prime Minister to organise cross-party talks to move faster to 3% to keep our nation safe.

Submarine announcement could be “damp squib” without funding ambition – Lib Dems

Responding to the Government’s announcement that the UK will build up to 12 new attack submarines, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson Helen Maguire said:

This signals absolutely the right intent about the need to bolster the UK’s defences in the face of Putin’s imperialism and Trump’s unreliability.

But this must come with a concrete commitment and detail on full funding. Labour’s mere ‘ambition’ rather than commitment to reach 3% of GDP on defence leaves serious questions about whether the money for these projects will actually be forthcoming. The 2034 timeline suggests a worrying lack of urgency from the Government.

Unless Labour commits to holding cross-party talks on how to reach 3% much more rapidly than the mid-2030s, this announcement risks becoming a damp squib.

Davey on Starmer interview: “concerning lack of urgency”

Responding to Keir Starmer’s refusal to commit to a firm date on reaching 3% of GDP defence spending, in an interview with the Today programme, Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey said:

Keir Starmer is showing a concerning lack of urgency on reaching 3%.

With Putin waging war, Trump undermining NATO and conflicts raging, we must deliver for our Armed Forces and Britain’s security in an increasingly unstable world. Anything less would be a dereliction of duty.

I once again urge the Prime Minister to convene cross-party talks to allow us to get to 3% as soon as possible, and faster than 2034.

Starmer’s comments on Winter Fuel U-turn shows “the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing”

Responding to the Prime Minister’s comments this morning that “the sooner we have clarity on that, the better” in reference to the Government’s Winter Fuel Payments U-turn, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper MP said:

The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. Number 10 needs to pick up the phone to Number 11 and announce the details of their apparent U-turn without further delay.

Keir Starmer needs to urgently get a grip and confirm that the changes will be in time for this winter, so pensioners can plan their finances and know they’ll be warm this winter.

It’s the least they deserve after the Government cruelly stripped away this vital support for so many without any notice.

Revealed: Armed forces have shrunk by 2,000 since Labour Government elected

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that the Armed Forces have lost over 2,000 personnel since the Labour government was elected last July – despite the party promising to restore the Army to a “fit to fight” state in their election manifesto.

Figures analysed by the Liberal Democrats show that full-time trained Armed Forces personnel have dropped by 2,181 since July 2024.

The Conservatives cut troop numbers by 10,000 when they were in government, reducing the size of the UK Army to its smallest since the Napoleonic era. Including this figure, the UK Armed Forces have shrunk by 14,350 since the start of the Ukraine war.

With the Prime Minister refusing to say when the size of the armed forces will increase, the Lib Dems are demanding the Government “walk the walk” when it comes to restoring army ranks.

Helen Maguire MP, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson and army veteran, said:

This Government has sat on its hands rather than acting to undo the Conservatives’ reckless cuts to our armed forces.

Since their fine words at the election on making the Army fit to fight again, we’ve seen a drop of over 2,000 armed forces personnel. It’s time for Labour to walk the walk and make good on their promises.

We’re calling for emergency measures to reverse the shameful Army troop cuts – introduced by the previous Conservative government – so we can restore our armed forces.