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PM Direct in Bradford

Prime Minister David Cameron has travelled to Bradford today where he took questions from staff at the headquarters of the supermarket chain Morrisons

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The PM opened the session by taking a question about the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Earlier this week, he visited Helmand Province and met troops who will be serving in the country over Christmas.

Mr Cameron said that the reason British forces were in Afghanistan was national security.

The PM added:

We’re there to train up their army, to train up their police force, to help their government, so they can take care of their own country and we can come home. Now, what I saw on Monday and Tuesday gave me confidence that we’re on target to do that.

We’re going to start next year, 2011, handing over the running of different districts and provinces to the Afghans and that transition will take place between 2011 and 2014 and we will be able to come home. And I think we should pay tribute to the incredibly brave men and women who are out there and the very difficult work they do.

Other topics under discussion included tuition fees, public spending cuts and reform of the welfare system.

Previous story: Long-term partnership with Afghanistan

Published 10 December 2010