Political opinion with Andrew Griffith MP: National security must be a foundational element

For over a year now many of us have watched in disbelief as the government have attempted to pay a ludicrous sum to give away British territory that is legally ours. This would have handed our long established and very strategic foothold in the Indian Ocean to those allied who do not share our interests.

I and the Conservative Party have been clear on Chagos throughout. You do not protect a vital military base by signing away the ground it stands on. The archipelago, particularly Diego Garcia and its military base, is a unique vantage point for monitoring space, for military action in the region and to secure the southern hemisphere. It is also one of the last pristine maritime habitats on the planet. It has never been fished yet Mauritius permits Chinese trawlers to fish its waters and has no means of protecting the marine reserve.

There’s a broader issue here. National security must be a foundational element of government decision making. Over the weekend, Kemi Badenoch set out an honest assessment of the challenges that we face ahead. She was clear that honesty in politics demands more than broad commitments. It requires setting out honestly how these ambitions will be delivered and what trade-offs will be necessary. That includes decisions about cutting spending elsewhere, principally in welfare spend.

We are living in a world that is more dangerous than at any time since the Cold War, and it is right that Britain must now rearm if we are to remain a serious power and deter adversaries. While Starmer dithered over legalities and international approval, the world continued to equip itself. The Conservatives are the only party offering a clear-eyed vision for Britain’s role in this new age of peril. It is time to stop the managed decline and start rebuilding the strength that keeps us safe.