DEFENCE CUTS

WHEN David Cameron was leader of the opposition he would often blast the Labour government for not funding the armed services. Yesterday, he announces enormous cuts to the armed forces and thousands of military personnel will lose their jobs.

The Labour government quite rightly ordered more Chinook heavy lift helicopters, but the order has been slashed. The Royal Navy will have aircraft carriers but no planes and the army will have fewer tanks and heavy artillery. This was not a spending review it was just a cost cutting exercise from a Conservative administration which has always prided itself on its support for the armed services. These defence cuts are going to have severe consequences for Britain´s armed forces in Afghanistan and with the reduction in troop numbers announced by the government I sincerely doubt that Britain can maintain its present 10'000 force in theatre in the long-term. Britain could no fight another Falklands war because the whole fleet of Harriers are being retired. Britain´s military capability has been severely dented at a time when it is fighting a war in Afghanistan. It is a nightmare scenario and if I was David Cameron I would go back to the drawing board and have a major re-think.