General Election 2019: Green Party Co-Leader Jonathan Bartley Answers Defence Questions

The General Election is less than a month away.

Before voters head to the polls on Thursday 12 December, we have been asking politicians questions on defence.

Forces News sat down with Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley to discuss military issues ahead of the 2019 election.

Would defence spending go down or up under a Green government?

"It would stay pretty much the same, at the 2% level."

What do you think the biggest defence and security threat facing the UK is?

Jonathan Bartley highlighted the nation's use of nuclear power and Trident as one of the biggest threats.

"It makes us a target, it opens us up, particularly on a domestic nuclear capability with Hinkley, with massive Chinese investment, there's a threat there," he said.

"Cyber threat is clearly a massive issue as well, and terror is also a massive issue.

"Recently generals, well a few years ago, wrote to The Times newspaper saying that Trident was rather inappropriate for the 21st century.

"This wasn't where we should be spending our money and that there are alternative threats that we need to look at and I think we need to take that very seriously when it's a general telling you that."

Why should members of the Armed Forces, if you were to become PM, trust you as Prime Minister?

"Well we have people's wellbeing at heart, and it isn't just about members of the Armed Forces, it's about their friends, their family.

"Ultimately, we want a more secure economy for everyone, we want better public services, we want to raise the quality of life for a basic income.

"We want to cut bills for people and we want to create that society where everyone thrives, and members of the Armed Forces are no different to anyone else in that respect - they want the common good like we do."