Conservative defence cuts
It's been two months now since Oliver Letwin surprised the political world with his plans to fund tax cuts through slashing defence spending in the first two years' of a Conservative government, and yet we have been given no plans on how this will be achieved. I have said elsewhere that the most logical thing would be to scrap Trident, given it serves next to no purpose and is very expensive.Looking at the party's website gives few clues. The latest press release by the brilliant Nicholas Soames (though as a Conservative defence spokesman who can't get a planned increase in his budget he must be unique!) is to protest against the mothballing of one of our aircraft carriers.
I don't pretend to understand defence matters, so can't tell you whether this, and the replacement of sea harriers with normal harriers is a good or bad thing. But I do understand economics, and I can't see how with a defence budget that will be 5% lower in real terms two years after a Conservative victory Soames plans to reverse this decision. I have emailed him and await an answer. Hopefully before lunch.
posted by Matthew @ 4/05/2004 09:04:00 AM
Comments: 1
