Had BREXIT been defeated, a not unlikely alternative scenario was Cameron's slim 5-seat 2015 majority whittled down through rebellions/defections/retirements until an election was called in 2017/2018, with Corbyn becoming the new PM. I doubt Cummings will be any worse for defence & intelligence than a Corbyn government.
Regardless of the stupidity or sanity or BREXIT (depending on which side of the fence you are on), it's pointless linking multiple events together. Defence has to negotiate and persuade whoever is in power. The significant imbalance between budget and ambition across the services meant a reckoning was inevitable.
...a not unlikely alternative scenario was Cameron's slim 5-seat 2015 majority whittled down through rebellions/defections/retirements until an election was called in 2017/2018, with Corbyn becoming the new PM. - utter conjecture with no basis in fact.
It's pointless linking multiple events together - see your entire opening paragraph. Still, it's important we know how we got here, especially as many now bemoaning the anticipated gutting of the armed forces were clamouring for it in the first place (and were warned this would be one of the likely consequences).
The significant imbalance between budget and ambition across the services meant a reckoning was inevitable - made much much worse by Brexit, both in terms of the billions spent so far and the billions projected to be lost to GDP.
Just making the point that Brexiters made this bed, and now we all have to lie in it.