Friday, 14 January 2011

The Conservatives are "strong" on defence...

Lets see how strong they have been thus far:
  • Reducing the planned purchase of 22 Chinooks to 12
  • Delaying Trident for political reasons that will cost billions
  • Cancelling Nimrod MRA4
  • Reducing armour and artillery, if reports are to be believed, to the bone
  • Reducing surface vessels
  • Reducing Tornado
  • Withdrawn Harrier GR9′s
  • Withdrawing Sentinel
  • Slashing allowances and expenses
  • Setting up the armed forces for a post Afghanistan change in terms and conditions of service
  • Implementing a 2 year pay freeze
  • Reducing pensions
  • Reducing service personnel by 17,000
  • Reducing the MoD Civil Service by 25,000 which will likely result in more work for service personnel
  • Removing the External Reference group from reporting on the Military Covenant
  • Trying to convince everyone that the SDSR was a considered and balanced review (thats my favourite joke of the year)
H/T Think Defence

I cannot see any reasons left for anyone to vote Conservative anymore, not that there ever really was one, but I think I can confidently say that most us did not think they were going to be this bad once in government. There is more than one way to balance the books especially when your country it at war...

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