UK defence: If the public wants the UK to remain powerful, voters should demand the nation can credibly defend itself against threats

As prime minister, David Cameron oversaw swingeing cuts to defence, while optimistically declaring the UK “should have no less ambition for our country in the decades to come”. He justified the scrapping of warships and jets, as well as thousands of soldiers, sailors and aviators, as a necessary move to combat a financial “blackhole” left by the previous Labour government. But fast-forward 14 years and the armed forces are still in a funding quagmire – they are just much smaller, with less capacity to absorb shocks and respond to crises. At the same time, the threat has grown exponentially, with…