With party leaders agreeing that big defence cuts are inevitable, senior military figures are already defending their share.

While party leaders argue about where and how to save money, they have so far avoided one area where all agree huge cuts are inevitable.

They have an opportunity to make up for it during tomorrow’s television debate devoted to defence and foreign affairs. With the single, albeit important, exception of Trident – and that’s because the Liberal Democrats are opposed to an identical Conservative/Labour position – they have up to now shunned the issue.  Read more... (668 words, 1 image, estimated 2:40 mins reading time)

Ok. Tell me when this will happen. As usual where politicians are concered its all “Talk Talk”.

First Published: 7:13AM GMT 28 Oct 2008

Foreign-born “preachers of hate” will have to publicly renounce their views or be barred from the UK, under new plans to be unveiled by the Government.

Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, is to announce a package of measures aimed at making it harder for extremists to enter the country.

The new rules will also affect anyone suspected of advocating illegal action to stir up tensions, including anti-abortionists, far-right groups and animal rights activists. It is expected that foreign-born extremists will be forced to retract controversial statements, and will have to refute specific allegations made against them.  Read more... (450 words, 1 image, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)

The next Tory government will carry out a proper review of our defence needs, says Liam Fox. t is a scandal that we have not had a Strategic Defence Review since 1998. Through the Iraq war, and the conflict in Afghanistan, Britain’s Armed Forces have been forced to operate within budgets that reflect the level of activity before September 11.  Read more... (853 words, 1 image, estimated 3:25 mins reading time)

OTTAWA — Opposition MPs accused the government of insulting elected officials and neglecting the nation’s business Tuesday when Conservative MPs boycotted a meeting of the House of Commons special committee studying the Afghan detainees affair.

Edmonton MP Laurie Hawn, parliamentary secretary to Defence Minister Peter MacKay, justified the boycott on grounds government MPs did not want to neglect constituency business and return to Ottawa during the Christmas recess “to satisfy opposition bloodlust.” He said the meeting could have been conducted by teleconference but opposition MPs declined.  Read more... (397 words, 1 image, estimated 1:35 mins reading time)

OTTAWA — The government refused Friday to comply with a House of Commons motion requiring the release of uncensored documents in the Afghan detainees affair.

The Conservative government’s defiance came as a new poll showed the public evenly divided on whether they believe Canadians transferred prisoners knowing they could face torture by Afghanistan authorities.

And the stage was set for further political battle when a special Commons committee reconvenes next week, likely Tuesday, with Liberal MPs wanting to summon Gen. Walter Natynczyk, chief of defence staff, to testify and with Richard Colvin, the diplomat at the centre of the affair, preparing a written submission to refute his critics mid-week.  Read more... (627 words, 1 image, estimated 2:30 mins reading time)

David Cameron and senior Conservatives are at odds about whether to set a clear timetable for withdrawing British troops from Afghanistan. Barack Obama, the US president has set out plans “to begin the transfer of our forces out of Afghanistan in July 2011” and Gordon Brown has called for a similar timetable.

Yet the Conservatives have not yet agreed a clear position on Afghanistan and troop withdrawal, with some Shadow Cabinet members saying that setting a timetable would boost the Taliban. Mr Cameron, the Conservative leader, has said he wants a “tight internal timetable” for training up Afghan forces and withdrawing British troops.  Read more... (533 words, 1 image, estimated 2:08 mins reading time)