Editing Conservative Party (UK) (section)

==== Defence policy ====
After the [[September 11 attacks|terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001]], the Conservative Party supported the coalition military action in [[Afghanistan]]. The Conservative Party believed that success in Afghanistan would be defined in terms of the Afghans achieving the capability to maintain their own internal and external security. They have repeatedly criticised the former [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Government]] for failing to equip British Forces adequately in the earlier days on the campaign—especially highlighting the shortage of helicopters for British Forces resulting from [[Gordon Brown]]'s £1.4bn cut to the helicopter budget in 2004.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Fox |first=Liam |date=2009-12-17 |title=Labour's dangerous defence cuts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2009/dec/17/defence-cuts-bob-ainsworth-afghan |access-date=2024-04-11 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

The Conservative Party believes that in the 21st century defence and security are interlinked. It has pledged to break away from holding a traditional [[Strategic Defence Review]] and committed to carrying out a more comprehensive [[Strategic Defence and Security Review 2010|Strategic Defence and Security Review]] (SDSR).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2009/09/Liam_Fox_If_Afghanistan_will_be_lost_it_will_be_lost_at_home.aspx |title=The Strategic Defence and Security Review: A Conservative View of Defence and Future Challenges |publisher=Royal United Services Institute |date=8 February 2010 |access-date=8 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622051413/https://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2009/09/Liam_Fox_If_Afghanistan_will_be_lost_it_will_be_lost_at_home.aspx |archive-date=22 June 2011 }}</ref> As well as an SDSR, the Conservative Party pledged in 2010 to undertake a fundamental and far-reaching review of the procurement process and how defence equipment is provided in Britain, and to increase Britain's share of the global defence market as Government policy.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 May 2017 |title=UK Conservatives to increase defense spending |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-conservatives-to-increase-defense-spending/ |access-date=21 September 2023 |website=Politico |language=en |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002220320/https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-conservatives-to-increase-defense-spending/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Conservative Party upholds the view that [[NATO]] remains and should remain the most important security alliance for the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2010/02/Liam_Fox_EU_should_only_act_when_NATO_cannot.aspx |title=Liam Fox: The EU should only act when NATO cannot |date=11 February 2010 |access-date=20 April 2007 |publisher=Conservative Party |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401061150/http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2010/02/Liam_Fox_EU_should_only_act_when_NATO_cannot.aspx |archive-date=1 April 2010 }}</ref> It has advocated for the creation of a fairer funding mechanism for NATO's expeditionary operations and called for all NATO countries to meet their required defence spending 2% of GDP. Some Conservatives believe that there is scope for expanding NATO's Article V to include new threats such as [[cybersecurity]].

The Conservative Party aims to build enhanced bilateral defence relations with key European partners and believes that it is in Britain's national interest to cooperate fully with all its European neighbours. It has pledged to ensure that any EU military capability must supplement and not supplant British national defence and [[NATO]], and that it is not in the British interest to hand over security to any supranational body.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |url=http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2010/02/Liam_Fox_EU_should_only_act_when_NATO_cannot.aspx |title=The EU should only act when NATO cannot |date=11 February 2010 |last=Fox |first=Liam |access-date=4 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401061150/http://www.conservatives.com/News/Speeches/2010/02/Liam_Fox_EU_should_only_act_when_NATO_cannot.aspx |archive-date=1 April 2010 }}</ref>

The Conservatives see it as a priority to encourage all members of the European Union to do more in terms of a commitment to European security at home and abroad. Regarding the defence role of the European Union, the Conservatives pledged to re-examine some of Britain's EU Defence commitments to determine their practicality and utility; specifically, to reassess UK participation provisions like Permanent Structured Cooperation, the [[European Defence Agency]] and EU Battlegroups to determine if there is any value in Britain's participation.

The Conservatives support the UK's possession of nuclear weapons through the [[Trident (UK nuclear programme)|Trident nuclear programme]].<ref name="autogenerated1" />