Further to my earlier comment, indeed the Tories are every bit as capable of making quite severe defence cuts, usually there is a practical rationale; Duncan Sandys and the all Missile Defence Force which amounted to nothing and left an air defence fighter force of five Lightning Squadrons and a Bloodhound Squadron. However, defence cuts have been on the agenda regardless of the economic situation with every Labour Government, I don't know if they've ever increased the actual order of Battle anywhere since 1964 but what is definitely of concern with Labour Governments is the number of times they have threatened, while in opposition and the present situation springs to mind, to abandon the Nuclear deterrent and apply significant cuts to defence spending generally. Their last manifesto stated they could not promise to maintain the 2% level of expenditure, the party is riddled with people who clearly hold military service and the entire concept in very low regard. There are sympathetic members as well. I don't know if the Tories have ever included privatising the NHS in their manifesto but Labour have certainly had radical changes to defence policy in theirs, including abandoning all nuclear strike capabilities and reductions in real terms in spending on conventional forces. A report in the Daily Mail today, however much everyone hold the Mail in contempt, the article showed a disgraceful publication available via 'supporters of Jeremy Corbyn' (described as an off shoot of Momentum, the booklets were on sale alongside join the Labour party leaflets at a festival organised by same) which quite subjectively equates service in HM Forces with murder and suicide through the use of grotesque cartoons and slogans.
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