Originally Posted by
Magic Mushroom
As intimated by BP, the Wilson Government had correctly identified that the UK was unable to support its existing overseas commitments. Accordingly they sought to withdraw ‘East of Suez’ and focus upon NATO.
I have evidence that the Wilson Government in 1964/65 actually wanted to retain east of Suez bases at the expense of NATO. When Patrick Gordon Walker and Denis Healey met Dean Rusk on 7 Dec 64 Rusk was at pains to say that the US needed UK in Asia as we could do things in places where they could not.
I believe the SEATO UK/US AOR boundary was 105 deg E.
It was certainly the UK Government's plan to "intention to run down the size of the UK’s armed forces over 10 years as defence spending would be maintained at its present levels"