Defence Debate highlights differences between the Parties

Today Radio Suffolk held a defence debate and invited the three main candidates to take part. David Ruffley, who is seeking reelection for the Tories joined Kevin Hind the Labour Candidate to debate with David Chappell on the current defence issues of the day.

David challenged the conventional belief of the other two parties than the Trident missile system should be retained. This is a defence project costing nearly £100 Billion, which is never expected to be used in war, which our own generals have condemned as providing a drain on the defence budget that is preventing money being spent on equipment essential on protecting our fighting troops.

There should be no like for like replacement of Trident, and this needs to be firmly included in any Defence Review in the near future. While wary of the danger from rogue states like North Korea, we should follow up from the recent START treaty between the USA and Russia and put Trident into multilateral disarmament talks with a firm programme for ridding the world of these problems.

On Afghanistan David said we should clearly understand that the troops are there to defend the streets of Britain from international terrorism but called for a planned withdrawal of British forces when the Afghan army and police are up to strength to defending the country, but resisted a set deadline on the grounds that setting a deadline would be a target that would in itself cause problems.

David insisted we should also recognise that our troops, we have 10,000 soldiers there as part of a Nato Force of 85,000, are making a difference, by comparing the fact that in 2004 only 9% of the population had access to medical facilities, while last year that had risen to 83% with a corresponding rise in support for the presence of British troops.

David highlighted that many of our armed forces families live in slum like conditions far different from the homes to provided to American service men and women. He called for a programme of refurbishment to make their Homes fit for Heroes. This would have a side benefit of providing jobs at the tome of recession. David pointed out that we could pay for this by reducing the number of high ranking officers in the armed forces.

As Nick Clegg pointed out in the Leader's Debate we have 2 admirals for every warship, 17 brigadiers for every brigade. We have 1 desk job in the MOD for every 2 service men and women.

David also highlighted the way we fail our servicemen when they leave the army, often discharging themselves while still suffering combat stress disorders. We need to make sure our GP's know how to cope with these disorders.

Finally they often end up homeless on our streets after defending our country, while teenage mums get priority housing. It's time to change those priorities, and give our returning troops a better deal.