Defending Our Values: A Secure Britain in an Uncertain World. Liberal Democrat Plan for Defence .

Keeping our country secure is the first priority of any government. We must take defence seriously. not through empty rhetoric, but through sustained investment and deep cooperation with our allies to protect our shared freedoms.

​While the previous Conservative Government was negligent, cutting 10,000 troops and failing on procurement, the current Labour administration has been too slow to meet the gravity of the modern era. In a world where the stability of NATO is challenged and the threat from authoritarian regimes grows, "business as usual" is no longer enough. The prospect of shifting US foreign policy and the ongoing aggression against Ukraine must end European complacency.

​The UK must lead within Europe, working with our democratic allies to ensure we can support Ukraine and defend our continent.
 Liberal Democrats will provide the investment needed to make the UK a global leader in security, funded responsibly mainly through Defence Bonds, allowing the British public to invest in the security of their own future.

​Our Plan to Strengthen the UK’s Defence
​Liberal Democrats will rebuild our Armed Forces, support our personnel, and ensure the UK remains a pillar of international stability by:

​Growing our Forces: Reversing the short-sighted cuts of the past decade and increasing regular Army troop numbers back to 100,000.

​A New Financial Commitment: Boosting defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 and 3.5% by 2034 ensuring our forces have the technological edge and the manpower they need.

​Defence Bonds: Funding an estimated £20 Billion ofbthis vital expansion through the issuance of Defence Bonds, providing a stable, long-term investment vehicle to modernise our capabilities without compromising other public services.

​The Independent Deterrent: Maintaining the UK’s existing nuclear deterrent and work towards independence with four submarines providing continuous at-sea deterrence, while simultaneously championing multilateral global disarmament.

​A Fair Deal for Service Personnel: Securing the housing, mental health support, and pay that our service personnel and veterans deserve.

​Robust Oversight and Ethical Leadership
​We believe in a Britain that leads by example. We will:
​Democratise Military Action: Legislate for a parliamentary vote before engaging in military action (except in emergencies or treaty obligations).

​Ethical Arms Exports: Introduce a ‘presumption of denial’ for arms exports to governments listed as human rights concerns by the Foreign Office.

​Transparent Intelligence: Strengthen the Intelligence and Security Committee by giving it the power to decide what it publishes and allowing Parliament to elect its members.

​Procurement Reform: End the cycle of waste by making procurement part of a comprehensive industrial strategy, ensuring a reliable pipeline of equipment for the Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and Strategic Command.

​A Fair Deal for the Armed Forces Community
​We will improve recruitment and retention by:
​Placing a legal duty on the Defence Secretary to uphold the Armed Forces Covenant.

​-Urgent investment to improve Ministry of Defence housing, ending the scandal of sub-standard living conditions.

​-Waiving application fees for indefinite leave for discharged personnel and their families.

-​Fully implementing the Atherton Report recommendations to support women in the Armed Forces.

​-Ensuring military compensation for injury is never means-tested for benefits.

​Leading in Europe and Beyond
​Security is found through partnership. We will work with our democratic allies to promote deterrence by:

-​Seeking a formal Defence and Security Agreement with the European Union.

-​Strengthening the Joint Expeditionary Force with Nordic and Baltic allies.

-​Prioritising interoperability with NATO partners and leading joint development of innovative technologies.

-​Maintaining our critical role within the Five Eyes intelligence community.

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