Citizens from the British Overseas Territories currently have to reside in the UK for five years before they can join the Armed Forces. It’s time to lift this barrier – and show we value our strong and lasting relationship, write Labour’s Luke Pollard and Conservative Andrew Bowie

Gavin Williamson has risked a diplomatic rift with France after he asked what the point would be in listening to the country's politicians on how to approach the Syrian conflict.

Jeremy Corbyn was either "incredibly naive or complicit" over his meeting with a Czech spy at the height of the Cold War, according to the former head of MI6.

Power politics and the rush for resources will feature heavily in the race for the Arctic, says Dods Monitoring Content Specialist Connor Smart.

Ruth Davidson has mounted a strong defence of international aid spending after a visit to Afghanistan.

Britain risks losing £5bn of defence contracts if a planned EU ban on palm oil goes ahead, it has emerged.

Two British-born Islamic State fighters captured by Syrian Kurdish forces should be put on trial at The Hague, according to a defence minister.

Cutting the number of Royal Marines and two of their amphibious ships would "significantly undermine" UK security, MPs have warned.

Labour MP and former Defence Minister Kevan Jones says years of rushed through defence spending cuts and bad decisions have now come home to roost.

The UK’s armed forces are £4.2bn worse off than they would have been were it not for an "overcautious" property deal struck more than 20 years ago.

Ministers must set out how the UK will work with the EU on foreign policy, security and defence after Brexit, MPs have said. 

Theresa May has given her backing to Gavin Williamson, and insisted a fling with a former work colleague which he revealed in a national newspaper is "a private matter".

Gavin Williamson's hopes of leading the Conservative party have been severely damaged by revelations of an office fling before he became an MP, senior Tory MPs have claimed. 

Gavin Williamson has said an office romance with a junior colleague nearly led to the end of his marriage.

Theresa May has put a fresh round of military cuts on ice in a move that is being seen as a victory for Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson.

Sir Michael Fallon last night urged Theresa May to hike the British defence budget or risk a decline in national security.

The UK’s armed forces could become “a very big bargaining chip” in Brexit negotiations, according to three top EU diplomats.

The Government must commit to more defence spending to counter emerging threats from countries such as Russia, the head of the Army will warn today. 

Philip Hammond is allowing the armed forces to shrink in a dangerous pursuit of votes at the next election, the chair of the Defence Select Committee has suggested. 

Britain is to deploy three military helicopters to help France take on Islamist terrorists in western African.

Britain is on the verge of “no longer being taken seriously” by other global powers because “defence has been cut to the bone,” a former armed forces minister has warned.

The Government has rejected the case for extra safeguards to prevent another prime minister taking the country to war the way Tony Blair did in Iraq.

A spending review into national security and defence is likely to be part suspended after the Defence Secretary argued future cuts had the potential to further impact the UK’s dwindling troop numbers.

The Defence Secretary has said Britain will “not hesitate” in safeguarding its waters from hostility after the Navy was forced to track a Russian vessel through the North Sea.