John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, commenting on new international analysis by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute revealing the scale of UK defence cuts under the Tories, said:

“These figures show the reckless scale of the UK’s defence downgrade under the Tories.

“While other countries have invested in their armed forces, Conservative Ministers have seen our military as a soft target for short-sighted cuts over the last decade.

“The coronavirus crisis has shown again how much we rely on our expert armed forces. Conservative Ministers should stop taking them for granted, and invest to keep the country safe.”