Speeches

Earlier today, Jim - Labour's Shadow Defence Secretary - made his speech to the Labour Party Conference 2012 in Manchester.

Today Labour publishes ‘21st Century Defence’, a consultation paper, to launch the Labour Party Shadow Defence Review. Labour will review the threats the UK faces, assessing the Government’s defence policy against recent events and expert opinion and seeking to define a long term vision for UK defence policy. The review consists of three parts, examining first the nature of the security landscape, then the principles which must guide our defence posture and then looking at the implications for force structures. We are determined that the limited consultation that came to characterise the Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review is not repeated

As the conflict in Libya ends that nation’s stability must be realised. As our Forces return home, the Arab awakening which led to the Libyan revolt remains untamed in other parts of the region. Meanwhile in Afghanistan, NATO forces are trying to find the correct balance between enforcement and transition. We have a timetable, but not yet the certainty to say progress is irreversible.

I also want to echo the tribute paid to Rifleman Vijay Rai from 2nd battalion, Royal Gurkha Rifles, who died in action on Saturday. On all these occasions it is right we recognise the sacrifice and dedication of our service personnel at home and overseas.

Good morning. Right now it is the afternoon in Afghanistan and there are 10,000 of our Forces there, many of them Reservists. And there are two thousand engaged in Libya and deployed in other countries across the world. They bear the burden of their bravery, they demonstrate their patriotism and they carry our pride