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2010 Defence Manifesto - Conservatives

The soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, civilians and their families that make up our Armed Forces are the backbone of this nation's security.

But more than a decade of neglect by Labour has left them overstretched, undermanned, and with key equipment arriving late.

A Conservative government will match defence resources with commitments by launching a Strategic Defence and Security Review. We will also:

• Introduce a system of regular defence reviews;
• Replace Trident and maintain the UK's independent submarine-based nuclear deterrent;
• Ensure that NATO, not the EU, remains the cornerstone of our nation's defence; and
• Maximise efficiency by making 25 per cent savings in the running of the MoD.

A Conservative government will, most importantly, repair the broken Military Covenant, respect our Armed Forces, and ensure that Forces' families and veterans are taken care of. We will:

• Double the operational bonus for troops serving in Afghanistan;
• Maximise troops' Rest and Recuperation time;
• Ensure that injured servicemen and women are treated in a dedicated military ward;
• Pilot a mental health tracking service for veterans;
• Change the rules for service voting registration to ensure that our troops are not locked out by the rules Labour introduced;
• Include service children within our plans for a pupil premium in schools, ensuring they attract extra funding;
• Provide university and further education scholarships for the children of servicemen and women killed while on active duty; and
• Review the rules governing the awarding of medals.