Arbuthnot: Savings need is overriding UK security

Wednesday, 3 August 2011 12:00 AM

James Arbuthnot, Conservative backbencher and chair of the defence committee, accuses the government of sacrificing the UK's global influence in favour of spending cuts:

"This is a clear example of the need for savings overriding the strategic security of the UK and the capability requirements of the armed forces. The government needs to outline its plans to manage the gap left by the loss of these capabilities and lay out detailed plans for their regeneration.

"Future Force 2020 seems to be regarded as a 'wide spectrum' force able to undertake all sorts of tasks while at the same time being regarded as the 'critical mass' of the armed forces with some spare capacity that may be achieved by the establishment of alliances and bilateral operations. The two views are not compatible.

"Decisions for post-2015 funding will have to be made in the very near future to ensure progress towards Future Force 2020. If the ambition of a real term funding increase is not realised, we will have failed our armed forces.

"The government appears to believe that the UK can maintain its influence while reducing spending in defence and at the foreign office. We do not agree. If the UK's influence in the world is to be maintained, the government must demonstrate in a clear and convincing way that these reductions have been offset by identifiable improvements elsewhere rather than imprecise assertions of an increased reliance on diplomacy and 'soft power'. If the government cannot do so, the national security strategy is in danger of becoming a 'wish list' that fails to make the hard choices necessary to ensure the nation's security."

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