The visit of Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg to the UK today underlines the leading role we play in the organisation that is the cornerstone of our defence.

Currently we are commanding half of Nato’s standing naval forces, and have deployed a battalion-sized battlegroup based in Estonia and a reconnaissance squadron to Poland as part of the enhanced forward presence, keeping us and our allies safe from increased aggression and assertiveness. We also proudly remain one of a handful of countries to meet the Nato spending target of 2 per cent of our GDP on defence.

As Britain leaves the European Union, we are at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history. We can either retreat from the world stage and slide into the shadows