Earlier today, Lord Bilimoria spoke about the recently published Spending Defence and Security Review 2015 in the House of Lords. The review, which sets out the government’s approach to national security for the next 5 years, was warmly received by many in the chamber and Lord Bilimoria was keen the praise the government’s commitment of 2% of GDP on defence spending. He criticised the 2010 Review as negligent and celebrated the defence budget’s dedication towards scientific research.
Earlier this evening, Lord Bilimoria spoke in a debate in the House of Lords about whether the UK should engage in military operations in Syria. He noted the mistakes made in past operations and outlined the reasons for intervening in the region now, while stressing the limitations of relying on air power alone.
Lord Bilimoria spoke in the House of Lords yesterday about the government’s plans to update the Reserve Forces. He praised the Chancellor’s decision to commit to 2% of the UK’s GDP on defence spending, which ensures that Britain continues to meet NATO’s spending defence target, and agreed with measures that would strengthen and modernise the armed forces reserves. Lord Bilimoria noted several concerns, chiefly about the ability of the UK to project power in the short term and about the way in which reservists are being integrated into the armed forces, and he called on the government to ensure that the armed forces are suitably equipped to carry out the actions that may be required of them.
On 3rd July, Lord Bilimoria was invited to be the Chief Guest Speaker at the Annual India Link Awards. He spoke about India-British relations and their smart power on the world stage, and his comprehensive speech (a transcript of which is available below) was extremely well received by all those present.
To cap off a wonderful night, Lord Bilimoria was also awarded with the India Link International Indian of the Year Award 2014-15, which recognised his significant achievements in the business and education sectors.
In an impassioned speech in the House of Lords, Lord Bilimoria raised serious concerns about the strength of the British armed forces going forward. Citing a study conducted by PwC, he also stressed the overwhelming public support for the armed forces and detailed the impact that continued cuts to the UK’s defence budget would have on Britain’s capability to project power abroad.
Speaking on the occasion on Gurkha pageant at the Royal Hospital Chelsea – Lord Bilimoria led a short debate in the House of Lords to commemorate the service of the Nepalese warriors in the British Army, as well as calling for increased aid and support for veterans by the Ministry of Defence. The speech was well-received by their Lordships, and prompted a number of questions of support to the Defence Minister, the Earl Howe.
This Tuesday, Lord Bilimoria responded to the Select Committee on Soft Power and the UK’s Influence report Persuasion and Power in the Modern World. Speaking in the House of Lords, he praised the report and discussed the significant soft power that India, his country of birth, and the UK, his adoptive country, wield on the world stage.
Lord Bilimoria went on to detail the threats to the UK’s soft and hard power, which include the repeated budget cuts inflicted on Britain’s cultural and defence institutions, and noted the areas in which the UK continues to excel.
Speaking in the House of Lords on Thursday, Lord Bilimoria addressed a number of issues raised by the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement – the penultimate finance statement ahead of next May’s General Election. Lord Bilimoria criticised the slow pace of deficit reduction and missed economic targets by the coalition – whilst also speaking in favour of tax reform, increased government support for research and development and expressing concern at funding levels for the British Armed Forces.
My Lords, in the summer of 2003 my late father, Lieutenant-General Bilimoria, was here in the UK on a visit. It was his last visit to the UK because he passed away a couple of years later. At an event he was approached by a prominent journalist who said: “General, do you think that we should have intervened in Iraq?”. My father, without blinking, said: “No. Intervention should only have taken place with the authority of the United Nations”. My father spoke from experience because as a young captain he had served with the United Nations in the Congo.