MP for the Braintree constituency since 2015

Following the Prime Minister’s statement on securing a lasting peace in Ukraine, former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly congratulates the PM on his efforts over the weekend. He calls for a fundamental “gear shift” on defence spending and offers his support when tackling the difficult decisions about balancing defence spending against domestic expenditure.

Speaking in a debate on the multi-billion pound cost of the UK-Mauritius deal, James Cleverly seeks clarification of the claim repeatedly made by the Government that if we do not pay, someone else will.

James Cleverly urges the Government to commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence, to put the UK in a strong position to encourage European allies to boost their own defence budgets.