Strategy: A thermonuclear deterrent only protects the homeland unless there are credible conventional forces to deploy. There aren't now (hence Putin's jibe), and the majority of the voters in the UK prioritise their own circumstances over any foreigners'. Hence, however it's presented, SDSR15 will be a further cut to conventional forces, since they are strategically ineffective anyway. The Reserve Forces can will be kicked another 5 years down the road. That won't work either because the UK job market has completely changed, but the poli's are out of ideas and cash.
The UK could maybe do a Falklands 'one-off', but any long term conflict is bound to be lost, as the last two have been. This is why Putin is in for the long haul in the Ukraine. He doesn't need to win in a month, and it's actually in his interests to take 3-4 years over it. It keeps it all below the level of being worth an attack on Russia.
The UK also now has no economic weight to throw about these days, so independent sanctions aren't an option either. How far the Saudis decide to open their supply valves has about 1,000x the effect of anything the UK can do.
Collaborative economic strategy is the one reason CMD wants to stay in the EU. Bush MkII treated the UK like a poodle, and Obama treats the UK like someone else's poodle, so the UK now only has its social worker calling it 'special'. But the EU, especially migration policy, is screwing the UK voter.....
Which brings us back to why SDSR15 is a cost-cutting exercise only.
New MPA? Friday Jokes thread for that suggestion.