Britannia Radio

NEWS RELEASE Wednesday October 6, 2010   DEFENCE CAMPAIGNERS WELCOME LIAM FOX’S NUCLEAR  PLEDGE   The UK National Defence Association (UKNDA) has welcomed the statement by the Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, in his speech to the Conservative Party Conference, that the Coalition Government “will maintain Britain’s nuclear deterrent and will go ahead with the Trident replacement programme.”   Commenting on the Defence Secretary’s speech, UKNDA spokesman Andy Smith said: “We welcome Liam Fox’s unequivocal statement of support for the independent nuclear deterrent, and his pledge that the Coalition will seek to maintain Britain’s full spectrum of military capabilities across land, sea and air. The Secretary of State was right to highlight in his conference speech the need to look beyond Afghanistan to other threats such as the risk of nuclear proliferation and the ongoing challenge of piracy.   “However, we hope that when the findings of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) and Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) are published later this month, we will not suddenly find that the Defence Secretary’s pledges have been torpedoed by Treasury short-termism. Defence of the Realm is, as Liam Fox said this morning, the first duty of government. However bleak the financial situation, the Government’s responsibility is to ensure that our Armed Forces are properly supported at all times, and that means giving them the resources that they need to provide this nation with effective defence and security at all times.” -Ends Media contacts: Cdr John Muxworthy RN, email ceo@uknda.org, tel 01264 860693; Andy Smith, email pro@uknda.org, tel 07737 271676  Notes to Editors: The United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA) was formed in 2007 to campaign in support of Britain’s Armed Forces. The Patrons of the UKNDA include three former Chiefs of the Defence Staff  – Admiral The Lord Boyce, Marshal of the RAF The Lord Craig, and General The Lord Guthrie. Tri-Service and politically independent, the UKNDA aims to ensure that Britain's fighting men and women are properly trained, equipped, sustained and cared for. The Association’s founder-President, Winston S. Churchill, former MP and war correspondent (and grandson of Britain's WWII Prime Minister), died on March 2, 2010.  For more information on the UKNDA, go to www.uknda.org