Stop 'lawfare' so we can tackle the real enemy

ONE OF MY personal concerns about leaving the European Convention on Human Rights was always the worry I felt about the kind of company we'd be keeping if we left - ie, Russia, a country that is not only our most immediate military threat but a regime wholly at odds with the values of freedom and democracy we hold so dear.

- By James Cartlidge

And yet, since becoming first a Defence Minister and now Shadow Defence Secretary, I've come to a far starker conclusion: the ECHR is making it harder for us to defend ourselves against the growing threats we face not least of all from Russia itself.

Last week Labour launched its Strategic Defence Review with grand promises albeit, without a credible plan to pay for them.

These promises include a larger regular army and a bigger reserve force, though not until well into the next Parliament.

But here's the extraordinary thing: on the one hand Labour talk about boosting military recruitment and retention. And yet, on the other hand, they are about to repeal the law the last Conservative Government put in place to protect our veterans from a new round of legal persecution.