Urgent need to beef up our fighting force

BRITAIN takes pride in its history as a small nation which has shaped the world for good.

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Throughout our history we have won both battles of ideas and wars to save our liberty. A combination of innovation and vigilance has allowed us to out-think our rivals, defend our territory and come to the rescue of our allies.

The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the peaceful defeat of Communism fatefully persuaded many of our intelligentsia that we could roll back our defences. But the lesson of history is we must never let down our guard.