There's no defence for Boris's evasion to important questions, says ANN WIDDECOMBE

Ann Widdecombe is a renowned author and British politician, serving as a Conservative Party MP from 1987 to 2010. She is also known for her appearances on reality TV shows like Strictly Come

Dancing.

It is Nato which has kept the peace in Europe since 1945 and without which there would have been no deterrent to the mighty Soviet empire from invading the West any time it chose. In a

choice between accepting command and control from the EU or continuing as we are with Nato, we must surely select the latter with its vast American nuclear arsenal but in which nations still

have sovereign rights over their own defence procurement.

By contrast Ursula von der Leyen has said in terms that she wants a single defence contractor. Where the heck would that leave our own defence industries?

It would be ludicrous to escape the tentacles of the EU only to find ourselves under its strategic command in matters military, daft to be free of its stranglehold on state aid only to be

told that our defence industries cannot bid.

No man can serve two masters and the choice is simple: the EU superstate or the voluntary, nation-respecting Nato.

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You

can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy

So why is Boris so silent on the issue? Why does Ben Wallace not give clear answers? Why does the UK Government seem to want to brush it all under the carpet?

We are entitled to a straight answer to a straight question: now we have left the EU will the Prime Minister guarantee that we will also leave the European Defence Union?

None of that rules out military co-operation with our European neighbours as they are also members of Nato which organises joint exercises and strategy development.

So let us ask a supplementary question: what can the EDU do that Nato cannot? There is no compulsion under any current agreement to commit ourselves to the EDU so why is Boris so evasive?

See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive.