Lack of equipment 'causing deaths'

12 April 2012

A Tory pressure group claimed that British troops have died in Afghanistan and Iraq for lack of proper equipment.

Conservative Way Forward was launching an advertising van poster campaign featuring Poppy symbols and listing the numbers of soldiers killed in 12 separate incidents.

Mark Allatt, general secretary of the Thatcherite group, said: "It's time to give our armed forces the support they deserve."

He added: "It is not acceptable that the Government is sending its troops to war without the vital equipment they need to protect themselves. This situation cannot continue.

"British soldiers have died in Afghanistan and Iraq because they were sent in to action without body armour or they were asked to patrol in vehicles which didn't have adequate armour.

"This is clear cut evidence that years of Labour under investment in defence has damaged Britain's ability to fulfil its defence commitment."

The poster launch in Blackpool was timed to coincide with the opening of the Conservative conference.

CWF called on the next Conservative government to raise defence spending by 50% over the lifetime of the next parliament.

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