Cameron must stop 'dangerous' defence cuts, says forces group unless he wants to go down as one of the guilty men
- Britain will ‘decline into irrelevancy’ unless it increases spending
- Concerns Argentina could take advantage of our weakness and invade the Falklands
- Defence secretary Phillip Hammond to announce cuts to MoD bonuses
By Daily Mail Reporter
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David Cameron risks going down in history as one of the ‘Guilty Men’ unless he calls a halt to Britain’s ‘dangerous’ defence cuts, a report warned last night.David Cameron has been urged to call a halt to Britain's 'dangerous' defence cuts
The UK National Defence Association, a pressure group comprising former armed forces chiefs, said the UK could not risk reducing armed services at such a volatile time in world history.
In a report, it warned that Britain will ‘decline into irrelevancy’ unless it increases spending from only 2 per cent of national output.
Author Air Commodore Andrew Lambert, who fought in Bosnia, Iraq and the Falklands, said there was concern Argentina could take advantage of our weakness and invade the Falklands.
The ‘Guilty Men’ reference is from a 1940 book by future Labour leader Michael Foot and others.
They accused Tory prime ministers Stanley Baldwin and Neville Chamberlain of putting the country’s security at risk by appeasing Hitler before the war and failing to arm the forces properly.
The UKNDA (UK National Defence Association, a defence pressure group) said the global situation meant war could come unexpectedly from any quarter.
It points to increased military spending by China and Russia, a volatile Middle East, piracy off the coast of Somalia and the fact that the USA is reducing its commitment to Europe’s defence.
Historian Andrew Roberts said in the report the Government seems set on a course that is ‘illogical, dangerous and ultimately self-defeating’.
He wrote: ‘A loyal Tory to the marrow of my being, I do not want the present Cabinet to be arraigned at the bar of public opinion as tomorrow’s Guilty Men. For on present showing, they would be found culpable.’MoD bonuses to be slashed
Ministry of Defence civil servants will have their bonuses slashed following an outcry over the size of payouts for penpushers.Announcement: Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond
Defence Secretary Phillip Hammond will today announce the amounts will be slashed by £13million this year.
In future, they will be given only to a handful of individuals for ‘genuinely outstanding performance’.
At a time when thousands of frontline troops are being axed and having their pay capped, civil servants have continued to enjoy bumper bonuses.
In 2010-2011, they pocketed more than £40million in bonuses as British service personnel risked their lives in Afghanistan and Libya.
In one case, a civil servant received an £85,000 bonus. The payments are in stark contrast to the settlement for soldiers, sailors and RAF personnel, who have had pay rises capped at 1 per cent.
But Mr Hammond will announce that the total bill for bonuses is expected to be reduced by a third this year to around £30million.
The average award is £430 and for those receiving the top award is £860. In future, the larger bonuses will only go to staff below the Senior Civil Service level.
In 2003-4, civil servants took home bonuses totalling £24.1million. By 2008-09 they had reached an all-time high of £47.5million.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2204775/Cameron-stop-dangerous-defence-cuts-says-forces-group-unless-wants-guilty-men.html#ixzz26ndPdojx
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