BEagle,
Yawn....................
If you could count Beags then you would be well aware that the £22bn budget of the Tories in 1997 was in fact a tad smaller than the £36bn of Labour in 2009.
If you want to find REAL large cuts in Defence expenditure go look at 1957, 1989, 1992 and 1994. Who was in power then?
Does 'Defence Costs Study' or 'Front Line First' ring any bells? How about "NO more manned combat aircraft" or privatisation, civilianisation and contractorisation?
All gleams in the eye of a Tory Prime Minister and Defence Minister.