James Cartlidge MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, CPC 2025 Speech

James Cartlidge MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, CPC 2025 Speech

“Good afternoon everybody,

There are few greater examples of our armed forces' unshakeable commitment to this nation than the crews of our Royal Navy submarines. 

HMS Vanguard is one of those submarines – charged with delivering our Continuous at Sea Deterrent, which has been in place every hour of every day since 1969.

In March, Vanguard's crew returned home following the Navy's longest ever patrol – 204 days at sea.

That's nearly seven months away from their families to keep all of us safe.

I had the privilege of meeting Vanguard's crew on three separate occasions.

Most recently, I bumped into them, in their uniform, outside a pub in Westminster.

They had decamped there following afternoon tea in Downing Street, which they had rightly received as thanks for their extended deployment.

Now, I thought they deserved a pint, after all, I wonder which felt longer – 204 days at sea or an afternoon with Keir Starmer.

Prior to that, as a Defence Minister I sailed with Vanguard for her Trident test-firing and witnessed first-hand the extraordinary skill and professionalism of her crew.

But it was the first time I met Vanguard's crew, visiting their base in Scotland, that left the greatest impression.

Recruitment and retention is our single biggest challenge – not just for submariners, but for the whole armed forces.

So, I asked the crew, if there was one thing the Government could do to improve retention, what would that be?

One of the officers replied:

“We just want to know that the country's got our back”.

Conference, that crew goes to sea with a cargo so lethal it is beyond imagination; an extraordinary burden of responsibility.

But like every single person who serves, what they need to know is that Britain is behind them.

So, I am determined to show unequivocally that we, the Conservative Party, have and will always have the back of all who serve our country.

That means focusing not just on our serving personnel, but on their families too.

That's why the first Shadow Defence policy I announced in June was the creation of an Armed Forces Housing Association.

I believe that would be the best way to rebuild service family homes that is needed, but which was only made possible by the decision I took in Government to buy back the Defence estate.

Why does this matter?

Recruitment and retention is no longer just a policy challenge, it is existential given the threats we face.

In 2022, the world changed.

The era of the ‘peace dividend' was shattered as Putin's tanks rolled into Ukraine.

Conference, there are those who claim that Nigel Farage's party are the ‘true conservatives'. 

But let us remind ourselves what happened when Putin launched his all-out invasion.

On that day, what did Farage do? Whose side was he on, as our continent was suddenly threatened with war for the first time since 1945?

That day, he chose to blame NATO for provoking Putin.

What did we do that day?

Instead of blaming our closest allies, we took real action to defend freedom, by arming the Ukrainians at lightning speed.

With NLAW anti-tank weapons. 

Half a million artillery shells.

The first Government to provide main battle tanks and long-range missiles.

And by training 50,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

This is what it means to be a true Conservative – standing up to Putin, just like Churchill did to Hitler; and Thatcher to Galtieri - in this Party we will always stand up for freedom and be prepared to defend it.

While we should all be incredibly proud of our efforts to help Ukraine avoid an early collapse, the war rages on and the threats to our own nation are only growing.

Royal Navy ships attacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea.

Russian Spy vessels threatening our critical national infrastructure.

And now Russian drones and jets violating NATO airspace.

Putin is deliberately testing our resolve and, in response, we must stand strong with our NATO allies and be prepared to take all necessary action to defend ourselves.

On the home front this demands a total focus across Government on rearmament and war readiness, because the best way to avoid war is to deter it from happening in the first place.

And that's why the huge gulf between Labour's rhetoric and reality on Defence is so alarming.

For all Starmer's claims on Defence, Labour have simply not shown the urgency the threat requires.

The threat we face is now… but Labour's defence promises, deliver at best, in a decade.

Labour's big headline from their Strategic Defence Review was up to 12 attack submarines by the 2040s. 

Now, that's a key phrase – ‘up to 12' submarines.

Conference, I could promise to buy up to 12 Ferraris, but it won't happen if I haven't got the money.

Like my Ferraris, those submarines are a fantasy, because the money to pay for them doesn't exist.

Strong defence needs a strong economy.

Instead, we have Rachel Reeves and Keir Starmer unable to cut welfare and deliver the cash defence needs.

As a result, they've had to resort to smoke and mirrors to make defence spending look bigger than it really is.

Because if Labour get their way, defence spending could be redefined to include rural broadband; the Lower Thames Crossing and civil scientific research vessels.

Conference, I kid you not – in future, UK defence spending could include…BOATY McBOATFACE.

In the meantime, with no real extra money for Defence, procurement is effectively frozen.

Our brilliant British businesses have provided some of the very best drones and counter-drone technology used on the frontline by Ukraine.

But almost none of this kit has been made available to our own army.

In their first financial year, Labour confirmed to me they only bought three new drones for the British armed forces.

Not three thousand or even three hundred. Just three drones.

Conference, with all our experience supporting Ukraine, the UK could be leading the drone revolution. Instead, Labour's penny pinching is starving our defence industry of cash and stifling our fighting capability.

But Conference, there is one exception where Labour have allowed the MOD to urgently commit taxpayers' money.

Thirty-five billion pounds on their crazy Chagos deal, to lease back British territory that we currently own freehold.

At the same time, surrendering sovereignty over Diego Garcia, one our most important military bases.

Now when Labour announced their Chagos deal in Parliament, they said those who opposed them were siding with Russia, China and Iran.

Well conference, opposing Labour's Chagos deal does not make us traitors, it makes us patriots.

Now, I'm sure we can all think of better ways to spend thirty-five billion pounds of public money than on tax cuts for the people of Mauritius.

For me, it's pretty straightforward - we should scrap Labour's Chagos deal, and spend every penny on the British armed forces.

But when it comes to investing in our military, whilst drones and technology are vital, the most important capability of all is still our people.

Those who serve today, but also those who served in the past – especially in Northern Ireland.

Because of our Legacy Act, those brave veterans who protected all of us from terrorism could sleep soundly in their beds, safe from the fear of a knock on the door in the middle of the night.

So what madness is it, that at a time of war in Europe, this Government should be reopening the floodgates of vexatious claims against those who served this country to keep us safe. 

Ladies and gentlemen, our veterans defended us and now it's our turn to defend them.

So can I ask you to join me in welcoming on stage two of the staunchest defenders of veterans of the British army:

Sit down with James Cartlidge MP, Mark Francois MP and Paul Young, former soldier and Spokesman for the Northern Ireland Veterans Movement

Conference, you've heard first-hand the sheer strength of feeling from our veterans.

All of us struggle to understand how a Government could be enabling the persecution of our former soldiers when the threat we face is so stark.

So why is this happening?

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hillary Benn, has been crystal clear why he is scrapping our Legacy Act, and I quote exactly what he said:

“Because the legislation is incompatible with our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights”.

Now, I'm someone who has always recognised that the ECHR was set up for good reason in the aftermath of the tragedy of the Second World War.

But as Shadow Defence Secretary it's become blindingly clear to me that the ECHR totally undermines our ability to deter the renewed threat of war that we face today.

The most basic duty of Government is defence of the realm.

But no Government can discharge that duty if the rule of an international court overrides our sovereign right to defend this nation.

Because it's not just our Legacy Act that's at risk; it's not just veterans.

Lord Wolfson warns that there is even a threat that our 2021 laws which protect UK forces on overseas operations, could be struck down if we stay in the ECHR.

What would that mean for today's soldiers if they are sent peacekeeping in Ukraine?

The thought is chilling.

I therefore wholeheartedly support Lord Wolfson's conclusion that remaining in the ECHR makes it impossible to fully protect our veterans and service personnel from the threat of vexatious claims.

Thank you.

Because this would be serious at the best of times; but with the military threat as intense as it is, this is simply unacceptable.

Conference, Kemi has taken the crucial decision to commit a future Conservative government to leave the ECHR.

Knowing that we will not be bound by its strictures; I can give you this guarantee.

If new laws are required to give legal certainty on overseas operations, we will pass those laws.

If Labour repeal our Legacy Act, we will legislate to restore full legal protection for our veterans.

Whatever it takes,

You have my word,

We will protect those who protected us.”