LOCAL MP Jesse Norman recently spent an extraordinary week in America at Washington DC and spoke at the Pentagon on Capitol Hill.

Mr Norman was travelling with the House of Commons Defence Committee, talking to the government’s American’s counterparts about Ukraine, NATO and the defence of Europe and AUKUS - the trilateral security partnership between the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia.

The committee also spoke about their support for Indo-Pacific partnership.

The defence committee also had further meetings at the State Department and were treated to a memorable visit to the Joint Force Command at NATO and the submarine and aircraft carrier shipyards in Norfolk, Virginia.

Mr Norman said: “It was a fascinating visit to our closest international ally.”