Dr Liam Fox MP: The Justice and Security Bill will help keep us safe

Dr Liam Fox is Conservative MP for North Somerset. Follow him on Twitter.

The images of hooded, shackled, boiler-suited detainees in Bagram and Guantanamo which shot round the world in the years after 9/11 undoubtedly had a widespread effect. For some, ‘National security’ became a dirty word. Doubt crept in about the integrity of our services, and about the rules under which they operated.

For Conservatives in particular, that period raised difficult, and without exaggerating the point, painful questions. We have long been proud of our services: tough and effective on the ground, respected the world over. We have also been immensely proud of the concept of British justice which is the bedrock of our success as a nation. Above all we have jealously guarded our reputation as a nation renowned for a deeply imbued sense of fair play.

But these assumptions were thrown up in the air amid the suggestion that we might have been involved in any form of mistreatment. Adding to that shock, we also have had to come to terms with the fact that our courts are simply not equipped to deal justly with allegations of this nature.

In one of his earliest statements to Parliament in 2010 the Prime Minister made clear that this situation could not continue. “The longer these questions remain unanswered, the bigger will grow the stain on our reputation as a country that believes in freedom, fairness, and human rights.” He set out a clear plan to stop the rot and “restore Britain’s moral leadership in the world.” This is what the important Justice & Security Bill, which reaches its Report Stage in the Commons tomorrow, seeks to achieve.

Dr Liam Fox MP: The Prime Minister's speech must end the concept of 'ever closer union'

Dr Liam Fox is Conservative MP for North Somerset. Follow Liam on Twitter.

The Prime Minister’s speech in Amsterdam will be one of the most important of his political career. It will be an opportunity to redefine the terms of a debate that has divided opinion inside and outside the Conservative Party. It must be clear, consistent and courageous.

There are a number of things I would like to hear. First and foremost we need an unambiguous declaration that we cannot continue to support the concept of “ever closer union”. It is both the essence and interpretation of this that lies at the heart of the strains between Britain, especially the Conservative Party, and our European partners.

First, the British people voted, or believed they voted, for a common market in the 1975 referendum. Yet what was delivered was the ‘ever closer union’ contained in the preamble to the Treaty of Rome by increment. Treaty by treaty the EU has become more and more entwined with areas of our national life, largely uninvited, and all the while successive British Governments have told us that we are ‘winning the arguments in Europe’ or that ‘Europe is coming our way’. To break with this consensus, which has bedevilled Britain’s relationship with Europe since the 1970’s, would be a landmark moment for the Prime Minister, the Conservative Party – and more importantly still – the British public. As I said on 19^th December in a speech at RUSI in conjunction with Open Europe, ‘Back to a Common Market’ would be an ideal slogan for the Conservative Party at the 2015 general election.

Liam Fox MP: On Armed Forces Day, it is time to celebrate and honour the service our brave forces provide to the nation

Liam Fox is Secretary of State for Defence.

Today is Armed Forces Day, a day in which the whole of Britain can show our appreciation and admiration for the courageous work of our men and women in uniform.

Whether it be in Edinburgh later today where I will be attending the official celebrations with the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, the Prime Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff, or one for the scores of parades, ceremonies and festivals up and down the country, we can all celebrate and honour the service our forces provide to the nation.

In Afghanistan last week I was privileged to be able to visit our troops who are placing life and limb on the line to defend our nation's security here at home. Over the last few months I have met many of our servicemen and women who have been involved in first of all, evacuating many British nationals from Libya, and now working around the clock to degrade Gadhafi's regime who continue to threaten the Libyan people.

We can rightly be proud of the bravery and dedication of our soldiers, airmen, sailors and marines who are ensuring Britain remains engaged as a leading nation on the world stage.

Liam Fox MP: Singapore conference debates nuclear weapons and defence

This is the third part of a diary that Liam Fox, Shadow Defence Secretary, has written from the IISS conference in Singapore.

While American Defence Secretary Gates took an optimistic line about North Korea and its nuclear programme, a very different tone was struck in the presentations from Fumio Kyuma, the Japanese Defence Minister and Brendan Fraser, the Australian Defence Minister. Secretary Gates had spoken about having the structures and agreements in place to deal with the North Korean problem both the Japanese and Australian delegations were clearly more alarmed about the threat of proliferation in the Asia-Pacific region. There was some discussion (mainly away from the main hall) about whether the Americans, keen for a demonstrable foreign policy success, were purposefully playing down the threat to buy diplomatic time.

The Japanese Minister (Japan has only recently upgraded the post to a full Ministerial one in response to a changing defence posture) said that Japan would continue its policy of neither possessing or producing nuclear weapons nor allowing them into Japan. He was especially concerned about the North Korean capability because of its direct threat and the increased risk of nuclear weapon technology falling into the hands of terrorist groups. For these reasons he vigorously defended Japan's plans for a missile defence system. It was clear that tensions between Japan and North Korea over human rights and the abduction of Japanese citizens remained at a very high level.

Liam Fox: Lessons from the Singaporean Prime Minister and the US Defence Secretary

This is the second part of a diary that Liam Fox, Shadow Defence Secretary, is writing from Singapore.

The opening speech was given by the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsein Loong. He praised the US commitment to the region and was reassuring about China (more an economic threat to the powers in the region than a military threat). He welcomed improved relations between China and Japan (Prime Minister Abe’s attendance at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers rather than the Yasakuni Shrine was appreciated in Bejing) but tensions remain especially over Japan’s attitude to the history of WW2.

The Prime Minister praised developments in India but warned that India "would not allow itself to be a counter balance to China" in the region and that "India will not be a deputy sheriff to the US".

Liam Fox MP: Why the West needs a wake-up call

This is the first part of a diary that Liam Fox, Shadow Defence Secretary, is writing from Singapore.

In the 1930s there was a perfect storm brewing. Its centre lay in Europe but it was to engulf the whole world. The signs were there for all to see but they were largely ignored, either out of intent or ignorance. A few, like Churchill, warned of what was coming but his words fell largely on deaf ears. Incompetence, appeasement and an optimism defying reality held sway - until it was too late.

This is not to suggest that today we are witnessing a similar phenomenon. But there are warnings we cannot ignore: the rise of a violent, internationalised and politicised form of Islamic extremism, the rise of Iran bolstered by a resurgent Persian nationalism, Russia’s increasing willingness to use fuel as a political weapon, rising tensions in Pakistan and the increasing fragility of non-proliferation come to mind. These things all require increased resolve by the international community and by the West in particular. Yet the commitment of the International Coalition to our current obligations in Iraq and NATO’s commitment in Afghanistan are being questioned by friend and foe alike.

Liam Fox's Washington Diary #3: Reviewing Tuesday

Yesterday's instalment of Liam Fox's Washington diary can be read here.

It is indicative of a sense of self doubt that so many Americans have asked “what do people in Britain think about America?”. There is real concern that events in the Gulf have left the US isolated and there is a sense of both irritation and bewilderment among ordinary Americans who believe that they have been genuinely trying to improve the lot of the Iraqi people.

On Capitol Hill Iraq remains the hugely dominant issue with Iran rapidly moving up the agenda. I met with a number of Republican politicians and commentators from across the political spectrum all of whom talked about the strains between the White House and Republicans in Congress. In particular, there is resentment that they defended Donald Rumsfeld all the way to polling day only for him to leave office immediately afterwards. There is frustration at the lack of progress from the Iraqi government but real appreciation of the support given by the UK.

We visited the huge Walter Reed military hospital which was really less a hospital than a small town. There is a local campaign to stop its closure and merger with Bethesda Naval hospital a few miles away. Sound familiar?

The reason for my visit was to meet with some of the cutting edge medical staff who deal with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). Put simply, those who are in the proximity of an explosion can suffer brain injury ranging from mild concussion to severe trauma. Modern body armour saves many lives that would otherwise be lost but it also results therefore in a greater number of disabled survivors - the number of amputees being fitted with prosthetic limbs a visible reminder of this.

Liam Fox's Washington Diary #2: Reviewing Monday

The first instalment of the Shadow Defence Secretary's diary appeared yesterday.

The first thing to note about Washington today is that it is absolutely freezing- the coldest spell in ten years. If the weather is frosty, however, the welcome is anything but. There are two pieces of good news to deliver today. The first is that people are genuinely interested in what the Conservative Party has to say. I have been here on many visits where we have always been treated with great courtesy and politeness. This time everyone we meet wants to know how David Cameron and his team will react to a range of scenarios and, as a result of our improved standing in the polls, interest in our policy development is high. There is also a great deal of curiosity about the change in Labour leadership. Most commentators cannot understand the prolonged goodbye from Tony Blair and certainly, viewed from this side of the Atlantic, his continuation in office seems both pointless and an exercise in selfishness of historic proportions. We had a series of extremely useful (and frank) meetings ranging from Karl Rove at the White House to the State Department, some media interviews and a reception at the British Embassy for British companies involved in Homeland Security and Public Safety Equipment. It is always reassuring, and sometimes surprising, to see how many British businesses are at the global cutting edge in areas such as security. What a pity we don’t here more of this from our own media!

An issue which keeps cropping up with British defence and security firms is the lack of skills base in the UK and the constant threat that some of our most innovative companies will end up relocating to the US. It is an issue we will get a chance to explore tomorrow at a large exhibition our businesses are hosting.

We have been discussing widely today the view, posted yesterday, that there is a good deal of room to seek greater cooperation in procurement projects with America. There is one drawback, however, and that is the widely held view that Britain likes to play Atlanticist in the States and European in Europe. While it is easy for us to dismiss this as par for the course for New Labour’s obsession with being “all things to all men” we will have to work hard to regain lost trust. This we found a little surprising as the British media would have us believe that Tony Blair is only marginally short of sainthood here. Simply stating that duplicity is in the DNA of New Labour will not be enough. We will have to come forward with detailed and credible proposals if we are to convince our American counterparts that we are genuinely committed to the Special Relationship as our primary alliance.

Finally, the second piece of news and a real result for Conservative Home. The piece that was posted last night was quoted to us by a senior Homeland Security official today.  Congratulations Tim- you have gone global!

Liam Fox's Washington Diary #1

Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox will be writing a daily diary for ConservativeHome during his factfinding visit to Washington DC this week.

I have never made any secret that I am a staunch Atlanticist. I believe that the values, heritage and culture we share makes the United States a natural partner for Britain and, militarily, our ally of choice.

It is a relationship that endures despite changes in the political colour of governments on both sides of the ocean in a recognition that the national interest always remains paramount. The bonds between JFK and Macmillan, Thatcher and Reagan and Blair and Bush are testament to that geopolitical reality. Of course, it is important to remind both sides that while the UK may be the junior partner in this alliance we are, nonetheless, a partner not a supplicant.

Most of the visits I have made as a member of the Shadow Cabinet have been to a Washington entirely dominated by the Republican Party (although my personal political contacts in America go back 20 years). While the Republicans are a sister Party to the Conservatives in the Centre-Right International Democratic Union there have always been good personal and political relationships with the Democrats. It is the new dynamic in DC which I will be experiencing this week - a Republican Whitehouse alongside a Democratic Congress. This new environment will be fascinating to see.

In defence issues the USA remains king - by far the world's most powerful and best-funded fighting force. There are no shortage of issues to discuss: Afghanistan - where NATO faces the Taliban threat and the unwillingness of some European partners to fully commit to the necessary funding or troop levels; the threat to non-proliferation and global stability posed by Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the recent Chinese test of space weapons.

There are also important bilateral issues to sort out, not least the issue of the Joint Strike Fighter and the American willingness to commit to defence technology transfer. Without this we would become entirely dependent on the USA for the through-life capability of this project, something that would limit our sovereign capability. I am personally keen to see greater Anglo-American cooperation in defence procurement not least for the economic advantages of scale in being able to tap into the vast research capabilities of the US defence industrial base. It is also highly unlikely that we would face military deployment alone and isolated from the United States and I will set out our objections to EU military pretensions later in the week. But our American friends need to understand that if cooperation is not forthcoming on technology transfer then the likely result is to push the UK towards a more European-based procurement programme, something I believe to be in the interests of neither party.

So this week I will be undertaking a number of meetings - on Capitol Hill, at the State Department, the Pentagon and the White House. I will also be visiting one of the major defence hospitals to see the state of Amarican defence medicine. I will have a number of interviews and speeches to make which will hopefully now be given greater credibility given the healthy state of the Conservative Party in the polls under David Cameron. I will give an update on Conservative Home each day ahead of the debate in the House of Commons on Thursday where we will discuss “Defence in the world”. There couldn’t be a better time to be having this particular dialogue in Washington.