United Kingdom National Defence Association

The UKNDA was founded in 2007 "to campaign for sufficient, appropriate and fully funded Armed Forces that the United Kingdom needs to defend effectively this Country, its people, their vital interests and security at home and throughout the world."

History

The idea of a 'UKNDA' first arose in August 2005 from discussions within the ‘e’ Forum of the Naval Review (NR) – the "Wardroom Bar". Many people had long and increasingly been concerned at the accelerating shrinkage of the Royal Navy in particular and the Armed Forces in General. The topic "Who’s Going to Save our Navy" was raised for discussion, out of which was developed a paper "The Navy the Nation Needs". This paper, comprehensively revised, was published finally under the title of "Below the Bottom Line". That paper identified a need for a new, independent, TRI-SERVICE organisation – a UK National Defence Association (UKNDA).

The UKNDA, its raison d’etre, purpose and management organisation is described in detail in the UK NDA Founding Document which has been circulated, discussed and frequently amended for over a year. The final draft of this document was agreed and approved by the UKNDA’s Steering Group (Now the UKNDA Policy and Management Board).

In June 2007 the UKNDA became a legal entity registered as 'UKNDA Limited' - a Company Limited by Guarantee (reg. no: 6254639).

Former defence chiefs attack Gordon Brown

"In the House of Lords yesterday, five former chiefs of the defence staff lined up to condemn what they claimed were in effect budget cuts on the military, some of them also attacking Gordon Brown individually for a perceived lack of interest in the armed forces.

The prime minister also entered the fray today, insisting he had "enormous respect" for the armed forces, who were financed and equipped adequately, he said.

This morning, the defence chief at the time of the 2003 Iraq invasion, Admiral Lord Boyce, said Gordon Brown had treated troops "with contempt" by making Browne combine his defence portfolio with the job of Scottish secretary."

"The extraordinary attack by five former defence chiefs on Gordon Brown originated from a day in early July when three of them were approached by the grandson of Winston Churchill to join a new alliance campaigning for more money to be spent on the Armed Forces.

Mr Churchill, a former Conservative MP, told The Times that when he was asked in June to be president of the UK National Defence Association, he turned to three men to add military weight to the campaign: General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, a former SAS commander and a redoubtable Whitehall player in his time; Admiral Lord Boyce, the man who asked the Government whether the invasion of Iraq was legal before it was launched; and Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Craig of Radley, quietly spoken but becoming increasingly vociferous about the pressures on the Armed Forces."