David Cameron: Defence spending cuts fears 'unfounded'

David Cameron today brushed aside a warning by Defence Secretary Liam Fox of the danger of "draconian" spending cuts to the armed forces, and declared his fears were "unfounded".

Dr Fox warned in a leaked letter that the current strategic defence and security review (SDSR) was looking "less and less defensible" and could have "grave consequences" for the Conservative Party and the Government.

But in an interview with ITV1's This Morning, Mr Cameron insisted that while the armed forces faced "difficult decisions", there was no basis for Dr Fox's concerns.

"His fears are unfounded because we are not going to take bad decisions," he said.

"We have thought very carefully about how to fund our armed forces properly and above all how we structure them for the future. We need to fit them for the dangerous world we live in where you need greater flexibility and a different structure of your armed forces. That is what we are going to get right.

"Of course there are difficult decisions and of course there will be intense conversations between the Treasury on the one hand and the Ministry of Defence on the other.

"But as the Prime Minister I can absolutely guarantee you we will have well-funded strong armed forces to defend our country."

Mr Cameron also hit out at new Labour leader Ed Miliband, warning that his refusal to face up to the problems of Britain's record deficit was "completely betraying" the country's national interest.

"To say what Ed Miliband has said, to say 'forget about the deficit' because it is somehow pessimistic to talk about it, that would be completely betraying the country," he said.

"If you are trying to do this job properly it is not about being popular, it is about trying to do what is right."

On the defence budget, Mr Cameron said the Government had inherited a "complete mess" from Labour which would require major changes.

"We have got tanks that can roll into Russia, we have got too many aeroplanes ready for a dogfight with the Soviet Union air force but we haven't got enough helicopters in Afghanistan," he said.

However, he stressed that no action would be taken which would undermine current military operations in Afghanistan.

"While our troops are right now at war in Afghanistan risking their lives, they must get every penny-piece of funding and equipment they need and I will make sure that they do," he said.