Today, the UK will host NATO leaders from 29 countries for a meeting to mark the 70th anniversary of NATO – the most successful military alliance in history, which protects a billion people. Our 2019 manifesto sets out how we’ll keep Britain safe and support our armed forces by:
- Maintaining Trident, exceeding the NATO target of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence, increasing the defence budget by at least 0.5 per cent above inflation every year of the new Parliament and modernising military equipment.
- Tackling vexatious legal claims, ensuring soldiers based in Scotland are not subject to the SNP's massive taxes, offering wraparound childcare for Army families and offering a guaranteed job interview for veterans.
Throughout the campaign – we’ve seen the threat that Jeremy Corbyn poses to our national security:
- Today, it has emerged that Corbyn said he wishes NATO ‘didn’t exist’ – showing that he’d abandon Britain’s closest military allies.
- Corbyn would scrap Trident in return for the SNP’s support – risking the ultimate guarantee of our country’s safety just so he can be in No. 10.
- Emily Thornberry admitted she couldn’t think of one occasion when Jeremy Corbyn would support military action.
- Three defence leaders have today warned about the consequences of a Corbyn-led government.
Today too, it has been revealed that Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Diane Abbott all backed a group whose aims are to ‘oppose all laws based on a pretext of counter-terrorism’ and to repeal all current counter-terror laws.
- Corbyn has appeared on numerous occasions at events organised by the group and backed the ‘achievements’ of the organisation.
- Along with this, McDonnell and Corbyn ALSO signed a letter opposing longer sentences for those convicted of terror offences.
The Conservatives will always take the necessary steps to ensure criminals are kept off our streets. Jeremy Corbyn will not. Since Friday’s appalling incident, we’ve announced that we’ll keep terrorists in prison for longer and tighten security around our borders we can keep people and communities in Britain safe.
However, today, with just over a week to go, the key points to remember on the doorstep remain the same:
- The choice at this election is between a majority Conservative government that will end the paralysis and confusion in Parliament, get Brexit done, and let the country move on OR a hung Parliament bringing more confusion and Corbyn in Downing Street.
- Only the Conservatives can win a majority – we only need to win 9 more seats to end the gridlock in Parliament. Corbyn can’t win a majority but in a hung parliament he would be propped up by the SNP.
- Jeremy Corbyn has no plan for Brexit. Under Labour, 2020 would be lost to the chaos of another two referendums – one on Brexit and another on Scottish independence.
- But with a Conservative Government we can unleash Britain’s potential. Investing in our NHS with 40 new hospitals, cutting crime with 20,000 more police, introducing an Australian style points based immigration system, and giving businesses and families the economic certainty they need to plan for the future with confidence.
- AND REMEMBER Corbyn’s plan for unlimited and unrestricted immigration is the biggest threat to our public services including our NHS - as well as his plans to spend £1.2 trillion which would wreck our economy.