DEFENCE

One of the cuts is of course defence. Leaks, Liam being angry etc etc.

But...

Has anyone actually looked at defence in terms of national expenditure?



In terms of National Expenditure it doesn't even warrent it's own segment!

The breakdown:
Total Spending by Function
Values in £ billion

2008 2009 2010 2011
Total Spending 576 631 661 681
Pensions 100 110 117 123
Health Care 204 221 239 244
Education 76 80 86 84
Defence 38 42 44 46
Welfare 88 94 105 109

For all the debate, Defence is nothing on the national budget in comparison to social expenditure.

I honestly am in shock that a government - even a coalition government that has to appease yogurt weavers- would consider such a miniscule section of national cost to be worthy of a 10% minimum cut when health can continue spending its merry way.

Note: if they get rid of the desk pilots and civil servants rather than making sure troops are under-equipped and die unnecessarily then the cut will be fine - unfortunately as I have posted in the past, the last people to be cut are those that aren't on the front line!

DEFENCE

As with all departments there is going to be a lot of tension in the MoD over cuts to its budget.

What worries me though is that despite promises otherwise it will be the frontline that will bear the brunt as always.

The MoD has a history of cocking up and protecting the suits in Whitehall rather than those whose job is the physical defence of this nation.

To get the cuts, all desk pilots will have to be reviewed - is there a reason why they are there? If not, out you go.

Secondly, start buying off-the-shelf rather than costly "projects". If a UK firm is good enough then they will compete. Military industry is one of our major exports after all.

Thirdly, those projects already on the go - the Eurofighter, Aircraft carriers etc. Enforce non-closure penalties if there are actually any. If not, warn the manufacturers that you consider it a breach of contract if the projects go further over budget/over-time.

DEFENCE

Courtesy of Channel 4 Fact check

“The defence budget has been rising every year…. The only time the defence budget has been cut was in the 10 years before 1997″

Gordon Brown, Questions to the prime minister, 10 March, 2010