Cazatou,
Not sure I fully understand your reply. Maybe you cannot remember the cuts made to the Royal Navy in Maggie’s first year. (I think you would have been about 15 and I admit I was only 19, but I was serving at the time and the cuts sent shock waves everywhere). Ironically we had the Falklands war shortly after that and suddenly we needed a Navy again.
Assuming that you are an intelligent man I am staggered that you seem to hold Gordon Brown responsible for the state of the Nations Finances. Every country in Europe and even the USA is facing the same difficulties. It is down to incompetence and greed in the economic world, not the PM who just happens to be in post at the time. It would have happened if any PM or party had been in power.
"A Pound spent on Defence is a Pound wasted." Yes, in words he did say that but I think those words need to be looked at in the full context.
Estimated Cost of RAFAT 2009/10
6.1 million Pounds of which fuel costs were 1.2 million Pounds.
That was the projected costing which does not take into account any required rectification following such events as birdstrikes or other mishaps.
Please do not take this the wrong way or as a personal attack on your good self and maybe I am being paranoid, but you seem to have a lot of figures about the RAFAT and use them to support your argument to bin them. I prey to God that you are not in a position to influence any decision on the Red Arrows or even worse the RAF as a whole.
Anyway, I think me and you will always agree to differ on this argument so why don’t we just knock it on the head and let time take its course.
Regards