Looks like the lad who sailed solo across the Atlantic might be one of the last of the sea-faring Brits. As SASless says, an island nation, on the edge of the Atlantic has a major strategic interest in the security of the international freight-routes and the nation as a whole.
I can't see Gordon promising an increase in the Defence budget in his manifesto, nor can I see the Tories being able to afford much more given the huge debts that Gordon has run up.
Welcome to the third world, Britain.