Lib Dems call on John Healey to give evidence to Defence Select Committee over disastrous delays to DIP

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Responding to John Healey’s resignation as Defence Secretary, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson James MacCleary MP said:

"The Defence Secretary’s resignation is a devastating indictment of this Government's handling of our national security. When the person tasked with keeping our country safe decides they can no longer defend the Treasury’s penny pinching, the Government can no longer deny its defence strategy is in total chaos.

"We are living through one of the most dangerous geopolitical environments in generations, and John Healey’s departure confirms what many of us have been warning about: the Government’s current financial settlement falls dangerously short of what is required to maintain our strategic capabilities and protect our nation.

"Now that Healey is free from collective ministerial responsibility, he must urgently come before the Defence Committee and explain what went wrong, who is responsible for the disastrous delays and be honest with the nation about the threats and risks a cut-down Defence Investment Plan exposes us to. You cannot protect the country with a pile of unpublished reports, or a budget that is not fit for purpose”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

At 11:37 this morning, Liberal Democrat Europe Spokesperson, Al Pinkerton MP, gave a point of order to the Speaker, regarding the Government’s disastrous delays to the Defence Investment Plan and the Government’s reported plan to release some details of the DIP tomorrow, on a non-sitting day.