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Conservative shadow Scottish secretary Harriet Cross slammed the Labour defence plan on tonight’s BBC Question Time and compared the Conservative’s ‘Iron Dome’ system to defence in Israel.

The show’s panel included, from the government, the justice minister Jake Richards; the Conservative shadow Scottish secretary Harriet Cross; Max Wilkinson from the Liberal Democrats; the Daily Mirror’s associate editor Kevin Maguire; and the Telegraph’s senior political commentator Annabel Denham.

The first topic to be discussed was the country’s defence spending off the back of the incident at RAF Fairford earlier this month.

Harriet Cross said:”We know that we need to get to 3% defense spending and we know we need to do that as soon as possible the government (Labour) still have not said that they will do that by 2030 they have not set out that path.We saw last year that there was endless delays to getting this defense investment plan in place. When it was released it was not funded and we’ve now heard that the Prime Minister might also be pushing the decision on how it’s going to be funded into autumn of next year so we could almost be waiting another year before we actually know how the government plan to fund defense.”

She added: “The conservatives have said that we will get to 3% defense spending and we’ve also said that part of that will be what we’re calling this Britannia Shield which will be an integrated missile and drone system which will help protect things like our critical infrastructure and like our bases.”

She went on to say: “It was described as an ‘iron dome’ and I think instantly people started thinking about the same system that they have in Israel – it’s not that but that’s the principal. It’s making sure that we can defend ourselves from incoming as I say drones and missiles. And it depends on the range. In theIsrael example it is more of the short range this is more looking at the long range steps that we face.”

She confirmed the finer details will be set out over time.

Questions from the crowd asked “Is the governemnt hiding what happened at Fairford?” and “Is it just a scam?”; to which justice minister Jake Richards said: “As a junior government minsiter I can reassure you that from as far as I’m aware that’s certianly not the case.”

The announcement on the ‘Iron Dome’ comes as war continues to rage in Europe and Vladimir Putin’s sabre-rattling against NATO intensifies. Mrs Badenoch said it will be funded by slashing welfare and cutting needless government spending. It also draws a major dividing line with Labour, with Andy Burnham’s perceived “weakness” on defence.

The Prime Minister triggered outrage last month when he said national security “can’t come at the expense of social security”. The Tory leader, who was enraged by his remarks, said: “The first duty of government is to defend the country and keep people safe. Labour are failing that basic test. “The world will not wait for Britain to get ready. War has returned to Europe. Missiles and drones are transforming warfare in the Middle East. Cheap weapons can now threaten cities, military bases and critical infrastructure in ways that would have sounded like science fiction a generation ago. “If a missile or drone is launched at Britain, we do not get a second chance to wish we had prepared. That is why today we are announcing Britannia Shield: a new national missile-and-drone defence system to protect the whole United Kingdom, our sovereign territories and British bases overseas.”