Well Said John Nicholl
Listened to Jimmy Young show (yes - sad I know) on way home from yet another day of no flying due to shabby weather. John, you made many good points and I liked the way you emphasised that the Services are stretched by too many tasks with too few assets.
The only addition I would have made is to say that - in my opinion - the money needed to meet the Govt's over-ambitious aspirations to be the world's policeman and to maintain a huge level of influence in the world community will NEVER be forthcoming. Therefore, the only solution is to lower the sights of ambition and reduce the number of commitments. The short-term (admitted to be so) throwing of money at aircrew is just that --- short-term. It will not solve the "I'm fed up with only seeing you for a few months every year and you're knackered when you are home" pressures which must go alongside the vast commitment levels of today.
CUT THE TASKS and accept that we are not still living in the Victorian era when we "ruled" most of the World and had enormous influence over the rest. I seem to remember saying this many times over the past couple of years.