KEETCH CALLS ON ALL TO 'SUPPORT OUR ARMED FORCES'

7.22.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Apr 2008

Paul Keetch, Liberal Democrat MP for Hereford, in a letter published in Saturday's Daily Telegraph newspaper, together with the president, patrons and vice presidents of the United Kingdom National Defence Association [UKNDA] has issued an appeal to all to join a recently created campaign to address the issues surrounding the over stretch and underfunding of the UK's Armed Forces.

Mr Keetch, a Vice President of the UKNDA said, "The UK's Armed Forces are chronically underfunded and seriously overstretched. Defence spending is at its lowest since the 1930s and our soldiers, sailors and airmen bear the cost of this in personnel and equipment shortages, inadequate medical and accommodation services and in shorter tour intervals."

"The UKNDA campaign, details of which can be found at www.supportourarmedforces.org.uk, seeks to gain an immediate and sustained increase in Forces funding to provide all of the personnel and equipment the UK Armed Forces need in order to carry out the difficult and often dangerous tasks they are asked to undertake. I wholeheartedly support this move and encourage others to do so also," the MP added.