Originally Posted by
pr00ne
chevvron,
"..and successive CONSERVATIVE Governments continued his policy..." There, fixed it for you.
I think you'll find that the policy of reducing the size of the British defence establishment was firmly and decisively started by the Conservative Government in 1957.
It was only a few months ago, in a public address, that Corbyn stated, unequivocally, that "this Government has left the UK armed forces in a desperate state and they need more men, ships and aircraft." Not sure that I have heard anything so clear from Johnson. Not sure that I would believe either.
This I don't doubt pr00ne (that he said it) indeed I've heard a few comments from the Labour Party about the Tories cutting Armed Forces, I suppose all in my life time have done so. I was born in 1960, Sandys anti-RAF cull was still to reach its final swing of the axe. Next came Peter Thorneycroft, I believe, as Defence Secretary, he dragged his heals on TSR2 but pursued the then large Carrier project, about 120 Phantoms were to be bought for the Navy. Then we got a Labour government, Harold Wilson with Denis Healey at Defence. TSR2 was cancelled with the plan to buy F-111s instead, numbers uncertain. They were offered a good deal from the USA. As always, however, the Labour government had a massive public spending programme to pursue as well, to shore this up, the Chancellor de-valued the pound to help exports. It didn't help imports and so the F-111 became a casualty and aided by the previous CDS, one Lord Mountbatten, the Buccaneer mk 2 was accepted, this had already been ruled out by the air staff as not affording the same survivability and long range reach as either of the other two. Also, Wilson set about, against protests, the end of East of Suez policy.
Next came Heath, his government stayed the execution of the Ark Royal, it along with Eagle, Victorious and Hermes was to have gone under Labour's East of Suez which included, as a result a drastic drop in the number of F-4s for the Navy, the few they had were to go to the RAF. But Ark Royal carried on under Heath's government. Next came Wilson again, and again extra money for public services was the priority, defence was to be pruned to help pay for this. Hence this time, the cull of Air Support Command and the removal of units in Cyprus. In 1977 a Labour Defence Study Group, rather like the ERG, only in regards to Defence, published their recommendations to Callaghan, that the Tornado should be scrapped entirely and the BAOR be reduced from 55,000 to 30,000.
Then Thatcher, carried out significant cuts to the RAF and Navy, the effects hadn't taken place in time to affect the Falklands deployment. John Nott resigned as Defence Secretary. Meanwhile, the promise to unilaterally disarm the UK nuclear arsenal strategic and tactical were clear from the Labour opposition along with further defence cuts. The Thatcher government, however, did make good on some points, they bought additional F-4s to replace the Squadron deployed to the Falklands permanently. They pressed ahead with further Invincible Class cruiser carriers and were looking to order an additional 40 Tornados on top of the 385 being delivered, tha was in early 1989.
The rest is largely history, the Tories cut defence through Options for Change and Front Line First. Blair got into that many overseas rucks one might have thought Labour at the time would have significantly increased defence spending to some substantial level. Instead, units of the RAF in particular were disbanded, Jaguar Force etc, to balance out the cost of the overseas operations. More to protect public avarice again. Next credit crunch, austerity and Liam Fox MD, apologising, as a Tory MP, for presiding over the deep cuts to come.
2015, the Tories in office have indicated a willingness to consolidate and stop any further cuts, but they continue here and there, Scampton, Linton-on-Ouse? I suspect Corbyn only criticises the Government over Defence to confuse people who look to his passed history,, he will conduct a root and branch SDSR on arrival in office. Whatever he says now will be dismissed by the findings of a Corbyn government SDSR.
FB