WHEN David Cameron was leader of the opposition he often blasted the Labour government for not spending enough on defence and leaving British troops badly equipped to fight the war in Afghanistan. Now, his government is planning the biggest defence cuts in five decades with the British armed services being cut to the bone.
Even Defence Minister Dr. Liam Fox is concerned saying that Britain could lose vital capabilities. The Defence Review, which is underway, is just another name for defence cuts which could see the Royal Navy cut by a third and the Royal Air Force losing many squadrons of fighter jets. The size of the army and its vital territorial reserve is expected to be slashed. Obviously savings can be made in the defence budget but these cutbacks will effectively leave Britain with a home guard and the once mighty Royal Navy will be dwarfed by many European nations. I understand that cuts have to be made but reducing the defence budget is not the way forward. Instead of spending heavily on British-made equipment perhaps the British armed services could look abroad for cheaper options.
The policy of buy British is not always best and this is one of the reasons why there is an enormous hole in the budget.