MOD to be cut by 25%: Coalition says.
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Has Liam ever given a figure of 25%?
What struck me about this 25% figure was that the first time I heard about it was when an unnamed Conservative spokesperson came out with it at the last Party Conference. While Mr Fox has repeatedly called for efficiency savings and cuts in non-essential staff etc. he has never (as far as I can see) mentioned a target figure. Perhaps he thought he should wait and see what savings were sensible once he got into Main Building, rather than rely on whichever firm of management consultants came up with the 25% proposal? Is it possible he was pushed into this by one of his more Thatcherite colleagues? I'm old enough to remember what John Nott tried to do pre-the Falklands War. Is this what we're seeing again or am I being too cynical?
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SDR
.....and I quote....
"Phase 3 will reconcile and synthesise these decisions and produce a synthesised force structure and a risk assessment against our policy baseline."
......Jeez.....
"Phase 3 will reconcile and synthesise these decisions and produce a synthesised force structure and a risk assessment against our policy baseline."
......Jeez.....
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Simple.
You have to hand it to our linguistics experts
"Phase 3 will reestablish a close relationship and combine so as to form a more complex, product, and decisions and produce an integrated whole by the combining of simpler parts or entities of combat-capable part of a military organisation and the determination of quantitative or qualitative value of risk related against our policy standard by which things are measured or compared."
You have to hand it to our linguistics experts
"Phase 3 will reestablish a close relationship and combine so as to form a more complex, product, and decisions and produce an integrated whole by the combining of simpler parts or entities of combat-capable part of a military organisation and the determination of quantitative or qualitative value of risk related against our policy standard by which things are measured or compared."
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
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The correct answer of course is that the armed forces should not be touched, it is the civil service part of the MOD that needs the axe taking to it.
I believe we now have more unproductive parasytic bureauprats in the MOD than servicemen in the RN, Army and that other lot put together, which is clearly daft. They (the civvies, not that other lot, bless'em) are the ones who need the chop, and big-time.
Sadly as it's the bloody bureauprats that run the show they are hardly likely to slash their own numbers, and therefore their own pay-grades, index-linked pensions and OBEs so hack the services it will no doubt remain, and Hurrah!! for the civil service pension scheme!
(Vile deprecations on the civil service deleted)
I believe we now have more unproductive parasytic bureauprats in the MOD than servicemen in the RN, Army and that other lot put together, which is clearly daft. They (the civvies, not that other lot, bless'em) are the ones who need the chop, and big-time.
Sadly as it's the bloody bureauprats that run the show they are hardly likely to slash their own numbers, and therefore their own pay-grades, index-linked pensions and OBEs so hack the services it will no doubt remain, and Hurrah!! for the civil service pension scheme!
(Vile deprecations on the civil service deleted)
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DE&S down from 25000 to 5000!!! Blimey, that will need an immediate impact statement that feeds a review panel that makes recommendations to the ideas factory so that a senior and peer review can update the risk register, once of course they've all flown Virgin Upper to the US for a meeting with their US counterparts to discuss whether any redundancy packages bought in the US will be subject to UK VAT.
DE&S + Dysfunctional, Expensive & Shi*e
Fingers crossed!!
DE&S + Dysfunctional, Expensive & Shi*e
Fingers crossed!!
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It was tight before I retired. 25% cuts mean no redundancy. In military terms that means planning for failure.But how could a young Government with no expertise know that?
Thread Starter
downsized from 25,000 staff to 5,000
CG
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The 25,000 to 5,000 figure was quoted by Bernard Jenkin MP ex shadow Defence secretary (2001-2003) who wrote a report a year or so ago which made this recommendation, I believe this was the same report Dr Fox got his original 40,000 redundancy figure from too.
By the way Jenkins has recently had to pay back £36,250 reduced from the £63,250 for the money he claimed for renting his constituency home from his Sister in law.
This man has integrity running thorugh every vein of his body and really has his finger on the pulse!
Oh no he hasn't he has his snout well deep into the trough.
By the way Jenkins has recently had to pay back £36,250 reduced from the £63,250 for the money he claimed for renting his constituency home from his Sister in law.
This man has integrity running thorugh every vein of his body and really has his finger on the pulse!
Oh no he hasn't he has his snout well deep into the trough.
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What he actually said
Once these are taken into account, the Budget figures imply that other departments will face an average real cut of around 25 per cent over four years.
Clearly, if we can find any additional savings to social security and welfare beyond those which I will shortly outline, then that will greatly relieve the pressure on these departments and that 25 per cent figure.
Of course, not all departments will receive the same settlement.
I recognise, for example, the particular pressures on our education system and on defence.
Clearly, if we can find any additional savings to social security and welfare beyond those which I will shortly outline, then that will greatly relieve the pressure on these departments and that 25 per cent figure.
Of course, not all departments will receive the same settlement.
I recognise, for example, the particular pressures on our education system and on defence.
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get the conductor on to the gravy train
We might be able to save the taxpayer a lot of dosh by thinning civil service numbers but we could also save quite a lot by asking those in overseas posts to contribute to some aspect of their keep.
Currently the lots and lots of civil servants in overseas posts don't pay for their accommodation, power or anything towards council tax. They get better allowances than their military brethren and better benefits (such as being allowed to transport a car overseas at taxpayers expense - the military aren't allowed the luxury of taking their car overseas unless they pay for it themselves or they are posted to an embassy type post).
Simple way of recouping some dosh would be get them to pay something towards their accommodation and maybe council tax? What other UK taxpayer gets away with not paying that? How many working people don't have to pay for electricity and gas?
Get the conductor on to the gravy train and start collecting some fares, too many people have been having a free ride for too long.
Currently the lots and lots of civil servants in overseas posts don't pay for their accommodation, power or anything towards council tax. They get better allowances than their military brethren and better benefits (such as being allowed to transport a car overseas at taxpayers expense - the military aren't allowed the luxury of taking their car overseas unless they pay for it themselves or they are posted to an embassy type post).
Simple way of recouping some dosh would be get them to pay something towards their accommodation and maybe council tax? What other UK taxpayer gets away with not paying that? How many working people don't have to pay for electricity and gas?
Get the conductor on to the gravy train and start collecting some fares, too many people have been having a free ride for too long.
Simple - sell off/get rid on Defence Estates and then (a la Annington) sell it to an Infrastructure Management company (Serco, Mite etc) and then offload all the DE / DCRE /INFRA staffs as it would all be contracted out to cheaper civilians in the private sector, thus creating more jobs that add to the economy rather than drain it! It's got to be on the cards, surely? After all, what large PLCs run their own Infra depts?? Errr, none - sell the bloody lot off, make a packet and rent the land back in a PFI or new similar incarnation!!
Having survived yesterday's slash and burn budget (NOT), I am beginning to think this government are erring on the side of caution. Hence my little bag of 'offerings' may well escape the real apocalypse, but here goes (and in no particular order).
Up for the chop/cut back:
JSF
2 x Carriers
In flight refueller project
Mil and civ personnel. Especially top heavy departments like the RAF.
MoD land and buildings.
Withdrawn from service: all helos except Merlin/Chinook/Lynx/Apache
Reduce Typhoon numbers and marinise some for the Carrier(s).
Sell off all cold war hardware (Tanks/APC's/subs/ships) that no longer have a place in 21st century warfare.
1 x nuclear sub.
Early withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Scrap the Red Arrows (Long overdue).
In return, pump more money into:
Intelligence gathering
MI5/6
Drones.
Robots.
Rapid deployment
Comms
IT
Sleeping with the Americans.
Up for the chop/cut back:
JSF
2 x Carriers
In flight refueller project
Mil and civ personnel. Especially top heavy departments like the RAF.
MoD land and buildings.
Withdrawn from service: all helos except Merlin/Chinook/Lynx/Apache
Reduce Typhoon numbers and marinise some for the Carrier(s).
Sell off all cold war hardware (Tanks/APC's/subs/ships) that no longer have a place in 21st century warfare.
1 x nuclear sub.
Early withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Scrap the Red Arrows (Long overdue).
In return, pump more money into:
Intelligence gathering
MI5/6
Drones.
Robots.
Rapid deployment
Comms
IT
Sleeping with the Americans.
No more salami slicing. It's going to be painful. I think only one remaining RAF station in Scotland and a cull of those left south of the border. Whole capabilities/fleets axed along with the personnel. Tiny Air Force remaining. Ouch!
Baffy Boy - My last tour in uniform was in SE Asia. I did not pay Council Tax, rent or utilities. The other two SO2's I worked with both had their cars shipped out, and back, at Public expense. My LOA was most generous.
Baffy Boy - My last tour in uniform was in SE Asia. I did not pay Council Tax, rent or utilities. The other two SO2's I worked with both had their cars shipped out, and back, at Public expense. My LOA was most generous.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
JSF
2 x Carriers
In flight refueller project
Mil and civ personnel. Especially top heavy departments like the RAF.
I think you will find the RN has a similar top heavy manning plot. Talking top heavy, how about all the green posts in the embassies?.
MoD land and buildings.
Withdrawn from service: all helos except Merlin/Chinook/Lynx/Apache
Lynx? Why keep the Lynx?
Reduce Typhoon numbers and marinise some for the Carrier(s).
Been round that buoy again. Marinising would probably eat up all the savings. Anyway, why marinise if you get rid of the Carriers?
Sell off all cold war hardware (Tanks/APC's/subs/ships) that no longer have a place in 21st century warfare.
To whom?
1 x nuclear sub.
Early withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Scrap the Red Arrows (Long overdue).
In return, pump more money into:
Intelligence gathering
Why?
MI5/6
Why?
Drones.
Why? If you are withdrawing from AFG where else would you plan to use them? Once you have them, but no employment, then they are as much use as an E3.
Robots.
Why? To do what?
Rapid deployment
Comms
Another money pit
IT
IT in the guise of Dii already costs the same as the two carriers. I quote "We couldn't find any documents on your computer" answer, "No, they were just emails that you sent or I sent to you and will be on your computer." Much is Dii is a simple office and email system.
2 x Carriers
In flight refueller project
Mil and civ personnel. Especially top heavy departments like the RAF.
I think you will find the RN has a similar top heavy manning plot. Talking top heavy, how about all the green posts in the embassies?.
MoD land and buildings.
Withdrawn from service: all helos except Merlin/Chinook/Lynx/Apache
Lynx? Why keep the Lynx?
Reduce Typhoon numbers and marinise some for the Carrier(s).
Been round that buoy again. Marinising would probably eat up all the savings. Anyway, why marinise if you get rid of the Carriers?
Sell off all cold war hardware (Tanks/APC's/subs/ships) that no longer have a place in 21st century warfare.
To whom?
1 x nuclear sub.
Early withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Scrap the Red Arrows (Long overdue).
In return, pump more money into:
Intelligence gathering
Why?
MI5/6
Why?
Drones.
Why? If you are withdrawing from AFG where else would you plan to use them? Once you have them, but no employment, then they are as much use as an E3.
Robots.
Why? To do what?
Rapid deployment
Comms
Another money pit
IT
IT in the guise of Dii already costs the same as the two carriers. I quote "We couldn't find any documents on your computer" answer, "No, they were just emails that you sent or I sent to you and will be on your computer." Much is Dii is a simple office and email system.
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One wonders if they were really serious why one needs a Scottish, a Welsh and an Irish Assembly, all with their own Civil service excess baggage, doing the same Job that one Parliament used to do with a 1/4 of the civil service staffing of the four we have now...
And they say the MOD is top heavy!
And they say the MOD is top heavy!