Thanks for the heads up ORAC, although the outcome of PR10 has been widely anticipated, the timing of the announcement is just the nicest Christmas present from this so-called Govt.
Absolutely nothing they do surprises me anymore. I particularly like one quote in the full article:
"This is not about spending cuts" said one Whitehall figure "The defence budget will rise in line with inflation. It is about getting an overspent programme into shape and aligned with our strategic priorities for defence."
If I've learnt one thing in my career it's that when someone says "This is not about spending cuts" , that's absolutely what it's about.
And as for 'Strategic priorities', perhaps somebody more generous than I would like to lend a copy of the OED to somebody in Whitehall. I don't believe anyone in this Govt, from the top down, has the faintest idea what the word strategy means..............
It could of course be that the overall plan is to dismantle the Armed Forces, in which case they're doing a fantastic job!