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01/09/2011
Armed Forces 'Shrinkage By Stealth' – Labour
Labour has hit out at Thursday's announcement that 17,000 military jobs will go by 2015.
The first tranche of job losses will affect 930 RAF and 920 Army personnel, while Gurkhas make up most of those in the army who will be told that they have been selected for compulsory redundancy.
Commenting on the armed forces redundancies, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said: "The Government’s decision to cut the deficit too far and a rushed defence review which cut too fast means frontline forces are being sacked.
"In a world of uncertainty it is worrying that Ministers' decisions are leading to Britain’s strategic shrinkage by stealth."
However, the Defence Secretary Liam Fox, defended the cuts saying the UK would still have strong forces, and rubbished the Labour Minister's claims saying extra money allocated for the equipment budget from 2015 will allow the defence capability to grow in the second half of the decade.
"Of course redundancies are always sad news, but we will continue to have strong and capable forces and we appreciate the hard work of our brave armed forces," said Mr Fox.
Labour's Jim Murphy said the country will be hurt that "brave Ghurkhas, championed by David Cameron in Opposition" are also being made compulsorily redundant.
"Ground crew who are essential for frontline RAF operations and army personnel who may serve in Afghanistan in future are being sacked today.
"Britain was able to participate in Libya at current capacity, using equipment planned to be scrapped by the defence review.
"As these cuts bite it is right that we ask what the impact will be on our ability to respond militarily to unpredictable events," he said.
The RAF said it will lose mostly trainee pilots, weapons systems operators and some officers up to the rank of air commodore.
(DW/BMcC)
The first tranche of job losses will affect 930 RAF and 920 Army personnel, while Gurkhas make up most of those in the army who will be told that they have been selected for compulsory redundancy.
Commenting on the armed forces redundancies, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said: "The Government’s decision to cut the deficit too far and a rushed defence review which cut too fast means frontline forces are being sacked.
"In a world of uncertainty it is worrying that Ministers' decisions are leading to Britain’s strategic shrinkage by stealth."
However, the Defence Secretary Liam Fox, defended the cuts saying the UK would still have strong forces, and rubbished the Labour Minister's claims saying extra money allocated for the equipment budget from 2015 will allow the defence capability to grow in the second half of the decade.
"Of course redundancies are always sad news, but we will continue to have strong and capable forces and we appreciate the hard work of our brave armed forces," said Mr Fox.
Labour's Jim Murphy said the country will be hurt that "brave Ghurkhas, championed by David Cameron in Opposition" are also being made compulsorily redundant.
"Ground crew who are essential for frontline RAF operations and army personnel who may serve in Afghanistan in future are being sacked today.
"Britain was able to participate in Libya at current capacity, using equipment planned to be scrapped by the defence review.
"As these cuts bite it is right that we ask what the impact will be on our ability to respond militarily to unpredictable events," he said.
The RAF said it will lose mostly trainee pilots, weapons systems operators and some officers up to the rank of air commodore.
(DW/BMcC)
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