Nia Griffith MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the Defence Select Committee’s report “Sunset for the Royal Marines? The Royal Marines and UK amphibious capability”, said:

“This report underlines yet again that any more cuts to the Royal Marines would have a profound impact on our national security and any decision to sell off our amphibious assault ships would also compromise our ability to conduct essential operations and leave us trailing behind other defence powers.

“As the report makes clear, the Government cannot continue to dodge scrutiny and attempt to pass the buck on to the Service chiefs. It is this Conservative Government who have forced through damaging defence cuts and it is the Defence Secretary who will have the final say.

“The defence review that is currently underway must be driven by strategy and a clear sense of the personnel and equipment that are necessary to Britain’s defences. This cannot simply be about making further short-sighted and damaging cuts to our national security, the sad hallmark of Conservative Defence policy to date.”

ENDS