The Defense Budget - What would you do?
There is no doubt that the MoD is in both short and long term financial dire straits.
Would you be willing to take one for the team in the form of a 5% pay cut now to help fill the delta? This would be subject to a once only rebalance, across the board, with future pay rises (increments and AFPRB) unaffacted - ie you get your pay rise, but it would be a rise against the 5% lower level.
I would. I think that if we, corporately could make the offer it would demonstrate to the public the importance we all attach to maintaining our capability and our belief of how damaging cuts at this particular juncture would be. It would generate debate, push defense spending to the forefront of the public's mindset and give the people with defense a justifiable ownership of our future equipment programme.
As a second question, does anybody working in the area know what the saving would be - in total for defence and for the three individual commands?
Of note an interesting point on QT last night - Every penny of income tax is spent on the welfare system. Everything else is funded from indirect taxation. Perhaps all welfare payments should be cut by 5% aswell!