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Up to 30 Conservative MPs are prepared to hold the government鈥檚 feet to the fire on defence, a Tory member of the defence select committee said after calling on the chancellor to protect its funding.

Johnny Mercer said they were 鈥渘ot prepared to see a further degradation in this country鈥檚 military, in either budget or capability鈥�.

Ahead of Gavin Williamson addressing the Commons for the first time as defence secretary, Mr Mercer told Daily Politics presenter Jo Coburn British taxpayers would not 鈥渂e prepared to see something like the size of Belgium in the UK鈥檚 armed forces鈥�.