Former government adviser: PM 'pledged to up defence spend'

A former special adviser to then Defence Secretary Liam Fox says assurances were made by David Cameron that defence spending would increase between 2015 and 2020.

Luke Coffey says assurance of a budget increase later on made cuts in 2010 an "easier pill to swallow".

"It was very clear to Liam Fox and his ministers... that there would be a real terms increase in the defence budget between the years 2015 and 2020," he said.

Coffey added that there were concerns that if the defence cuts that had been discussed had gone ahead a number of Britain's top military figures could have resigned from their positions.