Commenting on today’s Defence Committee Report on Defence Equipment, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said:

“This highlights the critical state of our defence budget and the continuing burden of expensive, unwieldy and inefficient procurements.

“With three key procurements already forecast to cost almost £3 billion more than the original cost, seven of the largest equipment programmes experiencing slippage in 2007-08 of over six and a half years, and Key Targets unlikely to be met, the DE&S needs to get its act together quickly to avoid even greater slippage and costs, which could irrevocably damaging our future capabilities. Read more »

Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey has welcomed the news that the Canadian wife of a British soldier has been allowed to remain in Britain.

Samantha Crozier had been told she would have to leave the UK where she lives with her husband and two children to reapply for residency as a spouse when her temporary visa runs out next month.

Commenting, Nick Harvey, who has been campaigning on the issue, said:

“I am obviously delighted by the news that Samantha can stay in Britain. However, despite this welcome decision, this problem is by no means over, there are numerous cases like Samantha’s that still need to be resolved. Read more »

Last week, I and my colleagues in the Lib Dem defence team joined hundreds of Gurkhas in a protest outside the Houses of Parliament. Currently, Gurkhas who served in the British Army before 1997 do not have the right to British citizenship, and receive only a fraction of the pension afforded to British service personnel. The former Nepalese soldiers gathered outside St Stephen’s Gate this morning were quite rightly demanding an end to this flagrantly unjust treatment. Read more »

Today Nick Clegg led a protest outside Parliament calling for the fair rights and better treatment for Gurkhas, below he writes about how the Government is failing these men and women. 

When I tell people what the government is doing to retired Gurkha soldiers – they don’t believe me. When I say that the government is trying to deport people who served our country for their whole working life – they can’t believe it’s true. But it is true, and it’s a national disgrace. Read more »

Ahead of the protest by retired members of the Gurkhas in Parliament Square tomorrow, the Liberal Democrats are today tabling a Bill to give all former Gurkhas the right to live in the UK after they leave the army.

Commenting before tabling his Immigration (Discharged Gurkhas) Bill, Liberal Democrat Defence spokesperson and former Defence minister Lord (John) Lee of Trafford, said:-

“Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords are tabling a Bill which would allow all Gurkhas indefinite leave to remain on the same basis as Commonwealth soldiers.” Read more »

Commenting on reports that Des Browne is seeking to prevent coroners from criticising the Ministry of Defence, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said:

“This is a misjudged and ill-conceived attempt to curtail the freedom of coroners to highlight the failings of the MoD.
  Read more »