Theresa May’s Iraq visit backfires as she refuses to guarantee troops’ jobs during Christmas visit
The boot-clad PM ditched her usual kitten heels to meet British troops training Iraqi soldiers ahead of Christmas.
THERESA May’s first visit to Iraq backfired spectacularly today as she visited troops ahead of Christmas but refused to guarantee their jobs.
Amid fevered speculation on cuts to the defence budget, she was asked three times if she would commit to keeping troop numbers at 70,000 or pledging that the British army would not get any smaller.
On the three day whistlestop tour of Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, she sidestepped every question on the issue.
She refused to give any assurances - despite a pledge in the Tory manifesto to maintain numbers - only saying: “It is about looking at the threats that we face and ensuring we have the capabilities to meet those threats.”
She was also mocked for rolling out her “strong and stable” catchphrase from the election campaign when she spoke about the future of Iraq.
Tory MPs have called for an increase in the minimum spend of 2% to 3% to tackle the growing threats from cyber warfare and for the Trident nuclear deterrent to be removed from the defence budget.
Furious former army officer and leading backbencher Johnny Mercer urged the new Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson to use his influence to protect army numbers - as promised in June’s snap election.
He blasted: “I stood honestly for Parliament in Plymouth on a manifesto that clearly stated that “we will maintain the overall size of the armed forces”.
“I fully expect that commitment to be adhered to, and would consider it dishonest for the Government to deviate from that commitment clearly made to our service community.
“The Defence Secretary has also made it clear that Defence is something he has enormous respect for, and he is unhappy with current proposals.
“When he was appointed, he pointed to his ability to get through difficult votes as Chief Whip in the House of Commons.
“I look forward to him using all of these skills in ensuring this government does its duty by those who serve.”
The row over shadowed Mrs May's visit - the first to Iraq by a major foreign leader since the fall of Mosul and Raqqa, and the first by a British PM since 2008.
The PM ditched her usual leopard-print kitten heels for a pair of sturdy boots when she met British troops training Iraqi soldiers - as she warned of the risks of IS terrorists “dispersing” across the region.
Speaking in Baghdad she said: “We’ve seen the fall of Mosul and Raqqa.
“This has been a significant military success against Daesh, but we must recognise that the threat remains.
“And we must obviously deal with the issue of potentially people from Daesh dispersing elsewhere.
“As we deal with Daesh it’s not just about the military action that is taken, it’s about addressing the terrorist threat across the whole range of aspects we need to deal with including for example access to the internet.”
Mrs May met Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi before flying on to Saudi Arabia where she will meet Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.
The PM is expected to turn the heat up on Britain’s Saudi allies over alleged humanitarian atrocities in Yemen, women’s issues and the continuing threat of Daesh.
Landing in Iraq, the first British PM to do so since Gordon Brown in 2008, she stepped off the RAF Hercules C-130 aircraft.
She was helped from the plane by the new British Ambassador for Iraq, Jon Wilks.
Dressed in black Salomon walking shoes, Mrs May visited camp Taji, a coalition base north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad where some British troops are currently based.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by a number of close protection personnel, all wearing chinos, jacket suits and dark glasses and travelled to the amber zone in the camp in a seven vehicle convoy.
At a training complex on the camp, Mrs May witnessed Royal Engineers training Iraqi Security Forces in how to detect and defeat improvised explosive devices.
After watching one soldier practice his skills in using a metal detector - swiping it across the space in between two orange strips of tape - she quizzed him through an interpreter about the skills he was gaining, to which he said they were very important.
The Prime Minister then talked to some of the troops currently deployed at camp Taji, including those from the Royal Medical Corps about the techniques and training they have been offering the Iraqis.
Enjoying a cup of coffee in the warm Middle Eastern sun, spotting a large cake decorated as a Union Jack, which had taken pride of place on a long table, Mrs May praised the skills of the baker saying “wow”.