As to Blair and Brown being somehow responsible for the deaths of these individuals, I simply do not see how that stacks up. The Government provides the Ministry of Defence with the 4th largest defence budget on the planet, and on top of that the operational costs of both Iraq and Afghanistan are met from the Government contingency reserves, this alone has cost many billiuons of pounds in UORs alone.
pr00ne,
One thing is for sure, everyone, no matter how thoughtful or thoughtless, makes their own case according to their politics. This 4th largest defence budget argument has been dragged out every time "defence capability" is questioned. But assets and personnel tell completely different story. I'm certain that while treasury reserves met the cost of Iraq and Afghanistan that cost was being off set elsewhere and largely at the expense of other assets. Armoured units, Fast Jet Squadrons, airbases indeed the now much in demand and therefore in vogue, infantry battalions. We've lost the the Navy's through deck cruisers now as well. This government wants to squeeze the last few actual fixed-wing air combat squadrons onto three air bases and can only afford 48 out of the original 138 F35Bs. The number of T45 Destroyers originally ordered under Blair and Brown have been cut significantly and the only reason we're cracking on with the two new carriers is because it's the least worst option financially. I wouldn't argue that we have the fourth largest bag of money for our Defence Ministry, but just what the hell do they fritter it all away on?
FB
A quick PS. I was reading that the albeit largest, but under pressure defence budget, that of Uncle Sam, still allows the Navy and Marines, not the principal air arm, to field land based and on carriers;69 Squadrons of F-18 Hornets and Super Hornets. Then you start counting all the other fixed-wing air units they deploy including their, and the last of our much credited, Harriers, bought at clearance sale I understand. The U.S.M.C. expect to keep the Harrier going alongside their own F-18s and F-35Bs to 2030. Now can you honestly make, I accept a rough comparison, with the U.K. approximating to a fourth of what all that indicates as a whole of U.S. military capability. Or even a tenth!
