US MILITARY BASES IN THE UK

That this House believes that all foreign military bases in this country should be closed; points out that there are an estimated 10,000 US military personnel stationed in notional RAF bases but effectively under American control; recalls that US forces arrived in Britain in 1942 to help fight Nazi Germany but did not leave on the conclusion of the Second World War in 1945; notes that instead they remained for more than 40 years supposedly to repel invasion from the Soviet Union; further points out that UK troops stationed in Germany as part of a defence force against the USSR are finally being withdrawn; and concludes that there is no case for maintaining foreign military bases to defend this country against a non-existent enemy and that this year's planned renewal of the US-UK defence agreement offers the chance to end this occupation so that the UK can start to have an independent relationship with the rest of the world.