Liam Fox: Tories 'preparing armed forces for future'

Defence Secretary Liam Fox has told his party's conference the national deficit will have an impact on British security, telling delegates, "you cannot be strong if you are broke."

He said he supported Chancellor George Osborne's programme of cuts for the armed forces, but that "even after the MOD's contribution... we still have the fourth largest defence budget in the world".

He told delegates in Manchester the £1bn spend on new Chinook helicopters was evidence of the government's commitment to equipping the armed forces for the future, while also pledging to increase the size of the Territiorial Army by 50%.