More UK defence cuts!
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Initials meaning - what ?
Bit of a nit-pick ... Sorry !
Didn't the Fairey TSRs' "T" stand for TORPEDO, while for the (much regretted) English Electric one's stood for TACTICAL ...
Didn't the Fairey TSRs' "T" stand for TORPEDO, while for the (much regretted) English Electric one's stood for TACTICAL ...
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Fox warns of more cuts to armed forces - The Independent, 7 Jun 11
If we thought last October was bad, it looks like the worst is yet to come!
There will be further substantial changes to the armed forces, including significant cuts in the Army, Navy and RAF, the Defence Secretary Liam Fox said yesterday.
Speaking at a Conservative Home conference in Westminster on security and development, Mr Fox said the Government had to face the "harsh economic reality" that the formulation of defence policies "begin and end with money".
The Ministry of Defence will therefore begin a process of across-the-board cuts, changing the way in which all frontline deployments operate. Among the measures being considered are a reduction and conciliation of current single-purpose army groups into larger "multi-role brigades", a continued consultation on future naval equipment and the "slimming down" of the number of RAF fleets.
However, the Defence Secretary was keen to reassure Britain's allies of his department's commitment to continued investment in European Typhoon fighter jets and American C17 military transport planes, which have played a key role in Nato's air campaign in Libya.
In his parting message to Tory MPs and party supporters worried about defence cuts, Mr Fox said: "If you want to spend more on defence, tell me which taxes you want to raise or which cuts you want to make to other programmes."
"It's a tough message but it's one Britain has to face."
Speaking at a Conservative Home conference in Westminster on security and development, Mr Fox said the Government had to face the "harsh economic reality" that the formulation of defence policies "begin and end with money".
The Ministry of Defence will therefore begin a process of across-the-board cuts, changing the way in which all frontline deployments operate. Among the measures being considered are a reduction and conciliation of current single-purpose army groups into larger "multi-role brigades", a continued consultation on future naval equipment and the "slimming down" of the number of RAF fleets.
However, the Defence Secretary was keen to reassure Britain's allies of his department's commitment to continued investment in European Typhoon fighter jets and American C17 military transport planes, which have played a key role in Nato's air campaign in Libya.
In his parting message to Tory MPs and party supporters worried about defence cuts, Mr Fox said: "If you want to spend more on defence, tell me which taxes you want to raise or which cuts you want to make to other programmes."
"It's a tough message but it's one Britain has to face."
If we thought last October was bad, it looks like the worst is yet to come!
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On the P8 issue it could be 5 of these Ryman Address Labels P8 Universal 99x68mm 8 per A4 Sheet 25 sheets
So then they could post the redundancy letters instead of face to face
So then they could post the redundancy letters instead of face to face
On the P8 issue it could be 5 of these Ryman Address Labels P8 Universal 99x68mm 8 per A4 Sheet 25 sheets
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In his parting message to Tory MPs and party supporters worried about defence cuts, Mr Fox said: "If you want to spend more on defence, tell me which taxes you want to raise or which cuts you want to make to other programmes. It's a tough message but it's one Britain has to face."
Well Mr Fox if that is the case perhaps we now need to face up to the fact that Trident is really a foreign policy tool with the liklehood of the UK ever needing to contemplate its use in isolation from our Allies about as remote as can be imagined. So is it now time to give up the pretence that it serves any real defence purpose rather than ending up with conventional forces that are that small they are no longer fit for purpose?
Off to put my tin hat on now.
Well Mr Fox if that is the case perhaps we now need to face up to the fact that Trident is really a foreign policy tool with the liklehood of the UK ever needing to contemplate its use in isolation from our Allies about as remote as can be imagined. So is it now time to give up the pretence that it serves any real defence purpose rather than ending up with conventional forces that are that small they are no longer fit for purpose?
Off to put my tin hat on now.
Would the honourable gentleman care to answer why we have less combat aircraft than we have MPs, MSPs, MEPs and the membership of the National Assemblies of Wales and Northern Island? Why they earn £60k+ a year with a very generous allowance package and accrue a final salary pension of 1/40th for every year they work, when the Armed Forces are being told to take huge allowance and likely pension reductions plus reductions in equipment?
Somebody has their "snout in the trough" don't they SoS? And it isn't the Queen's most loyal servants that risk life and limb for their country...
LJ
Somebody has their "snout in the trough" don't they SoS? And it isn't the Queen's most loyal servants that risk life and limb for their country...
LJ
In his parting message to Tory MPs and party supporters worried about defence cuts, Mr Fox said: "If you want to spend more on defence, tell me which taxes you want to raise or which cuts you want to make to other programmes. It's a tough message but it's one Britain has to face."
Not a tough at all you stupid politian......
Transfer the whole of the ludicrous foreign aid budget to Defense for starters .... simples.
Not a tough at all you stupid politian......
Transfer the whole of the ludicrous foreign aid budget to Defense for starters .... simples.
Transfer the whole of the ludicrous foreign aid budget to Defense for starters .... simples.
We would quite possibly not be at war in Afghanistan right now if foreign aid there had been used to build a functioning society rather than propping up various friendly autocrats.
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Even rarer is for two democratic countries to go to war with each other.
The last time was all of 3 years ago. Georgia vs Russia (doesn't matter what we may think about the 'style' of their democracies; they were - and still are - democratic states).
Democracy Index - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Hence my qoute about what we (or in this case a western magazine) think about their style of democracy. Their government's are elected by the population - hence they are democracies in its basic form.
Nice to see that the UK ranks higher than France (a 'flawed democracy') though.
Nice to see that the UK ranks higher than France (a 'flawed democracy') though.
Gentleman Aviator
So is it now time to give up the pretence that it serves any real defence purpose
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£10bn 'black hole' means new defence cuts loom - The Telegraph 24 Jun 11
The Daily Telegraph has learned that Ministry of Defence officials have calculated that the department is at least £10 billion short of what it will need in the coming years.
The financial “mismatch” is larger than all the defence cuts announced in last year’s Spending Review, and has raised fears of another round of painful reductions in the Armed Forces.
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James Arbuthnot, the chairman of the Commons defence committee this week suggested that the MoD was now seeking savings of £8 billion.
But MoD insiders said the new black hole is actually higher than that and likely to be “in the teens of billions”.
The financial “mismatch” is larger than all the defence cuts announced in last year’s Spending Review, and has raised fears of another round of painful reductions in the Armed Forces.
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James Arbuthnot, the chairman of the Commons defence committee this week suggested that the MoD was now seeking savings of £8 billion.
But MoD insiders said the new black hole is actually higher than that and likely to be “in the teens of billions”.
Would it be hopelessly uncharitable to suggest that the actual amount of money being applied (being large in world terms) is not actually the problem?
I appreciate that there are practical limits, but isn't the defence spending issue really more about not giving BAE the PIN code to the MoD's metaphorical credit card account, and similar situations?
My, what an outburst, I do apologise...
I appreciate that there are practical limits, but isn't the defence spending issue really more about not giving BAE the PIN code to the MoD's metaphorical credit card account, and similar situations?
My, what an outburst, I do apologise...
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... ahhh, but if we didn't have Trident, then that nice Irishman (sic) Barry O'Bama wouldn't come round to No 10 for a barbie ...
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Come on gents,let's get real. You all know we need these cuts, after all, where do you think the compensation for our unfortuantes in prison is going to come from..........