Forces TV To Host General Election Defence Debate

Forces TV and the Royal United Services Institute are joining together to hold a debate on the important defence issues ahead of the 2015 General Election.

 

Defence spending, new overseas threats, the Trident nuclear programme, veterans' welfare and the recruitment of reservists are already hotly debated election issues.

 

All the main parties will be taking part with their senior spokesmen taking questions in front of a live audience at RUSI in Whitehall on Friday 24th April.

 

The debate will be chaired by Kate Gerbeau with expert analysis from Professor Michael Clarke.

 

Speaking for the Conservatives will be Mark Francois, the current Minister for the Armed Forces and a former Royal Anglian Regiment reservist. For Labour, Vernon Coaker, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence. For the Liberal Democrats, Sir Bob Russell, a leading member of the Defence Select Committee in the last Parliament. The SNP will be represented by Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure, Invetment and Cities, a former Veterans Minister and Royal Marine. UKIP will be represented by Suzanne Evans, the party's deputy chair and author of its 2015 manifesto.