Kemi Badenoch has been accused of hypocrisy after the Tories “hollowed out Britain’s defences”. The Tory leader had called for Britain to show allies like the US a willingness to “get our hands dirty” on defence commitments and undertake “the biggest peacetime programme of rearmament in our country’s history”. In a speech at the London Defence Conference, Ms Badenoch pledged “the largest net increase in British troops under any government since the Second World War” if they return to power ,