Shrewsbury MP warns Chancellor not to cut Britain's overseas presence

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski has warned the Chancellor not to cut defence budgets in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

In this image made available by the Iranian Students News Agency, an Iranian navy vessel launches a missile during a drill at the sea of Oman, on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2012. Iran's navy said Sunday it test-fired an advanced surface-to-air missile during a drill in international waters near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for one-sixth of the world's oil supply. Iran's state TV said the missile, named Mehrab, or Altar, is designed to evade radar and was developed by Iranian scientists. (AP Photo/ISNA,Amir Kholousi) EDS NOTE: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAS NO WAY OF INDEPENDENTLY VERIFYING THE CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS IMAGE.

Mr Kawczynski said Britain's military overseas presence was vital to the defence of the nation's interests.

But he said he feared Chancellor Rishi Sunak might be tempted to cut back on British bases abroad as he attempted to recoup the cost of the coronavirus pandemic

Mr Kawczynski said Britain's bases in Gibraltar, Cyprus, the Ascension Island, and the British Indian Ocean Territory were crucial to both the UK and Nato's strategic interests.

"This footprint is not just a residual legacy of Empire," he said, adding that the Royal Navy's presence in the Strait of Hormuz was vital to ensuring the free passage of commercial ships. Last year a British-flagged tanker was seized by the Iranians in the strait.

Mr Kawczynski said an increasingly assertive China meant that the South China Sea was also a possible flashpoint, which could have a disastrous impact on international trade.

"Prior to the pandemic, ministers recognised the importance of expanding on this existing footprint," he said.

Concerned

"A truly ambitious Government would continue this work, Our armed forces should be aiming to take part in joint military exercises being conducted by regional allies, such as Pacific Bond, both as a visible show of support and to improve operational readiness."

But Mr Kawczynski said he was concerned that the defence budget might be likely to bear the brunt of future cutbacks.

"My fear is that the Government, faced once again with a difficult fiscal situation, may choose to narrow the scope of our armed forces in order to concentrate spending, relapsing into the view that such far-flung outposts and operations are ‘nice-to-haves’," he said.

"Nothing could be further from the truth. We live in a smaller and increasingly connected world, and the ability to project power in both the Gulf and the Asia-Pacific regions is only going to become more important, not less.

"Far from imperial nostalgia, a return to a strong presence ‘East of Suez’ reflects a cold and clear-eyed assessment of modern Britain’s strategic interests."