Badenoch calls for UK ‘Iron Dome’ missile defence system – UK politics live

Conservatives plan ‘new integrated air and missile defence system to protect Britain from attack – in essence, a British “Iron Dome”’

Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system shoots down rockets fired from Lebanon. Photograph: Jalaa Marey/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenIsrael’s Iron Dome air defence system shoots down rockets fired from Lebanon. Photograph: Jalaa Marey/AFP/Getty ImagesGood morning. Kemi Badenoch is doing a round of interviews this morning at the Conservative conference, and she will be talking about her plans for the UK to have its own version of Israel’s “Iron Dome” missile defence system. That phrase is not just journalists’ hype; it has come from the first line of the party’s press release, which says the party has plans for a “new integrated air and missile defence system to protect Britain from attack – in essence, a British ‘Iron Dome’.”

Here is our story by Jessica Elgot and Dan Sabbagh.

Read moreAnd this is what Badenoch is saying about it.

double quotation markThe first duty of government is to defend the country and keep people safe. Labour are failing that basic test.

The world will not wait for Britain to get ready. War has returned to Europe. Missiles and drones are transforming warfare in the Middle East. Cheap weapons can now threaten cities, military bases and critical infrastructure in ways that would have sounded like science fiction a generation ago.

If a missile or drone is launched at Britain, we do not get a second chance to wish we had prepared.

The Tories say their plan would cost £1bn a year over 10 years, and that the money would come from the plan they announced last month to raise defence spending by £10bn a year. Almost half the money for this would come from cuts to housing benefit.

7.30am: Kemi Badenoch begins a round of media interviews, starting with BBC Breakfast.

9.45am: The morning session of the Conservative party conference opens, with speeches from Katie Lam, the shadow housing secretary, then Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary (at 10.30am) and Rebecca Paul, the shadow culture secretary (at noon).

2pm: The afternoon session starts, with speeches from Alex Burghart, the deputy leader, Tom Tugendhat, the shadow foreign secretary, James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, and Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary.

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