political commentator * author * publisher * bookseller * radio presenter * blogger * Conservative candidate * former lobbyist * Jack Russell owner * West Ham United fanatic * Email iain AT iaindale DOT com
Thursday, March 11, 2010
How Brown Has Cut Defence Spending
Cathy Newman and her colleagues at Channel 4 News show that contrary to what Gordon Brown claimed yesterday, defence spending has actually been cut. Well worth a watch.
I had a look at this as well. The Defence Budget has fallen consistenly as a percentage of GDP (which is the traditional measure of spending) as well as in "Real Terms".
However, the recent falls in real terms either happened when troops were gearing up to go to war in Iraq or during the escalation during 2008 in Afghanistan, exactly when the Budget should have been growing.
When you include the fact that the Core Budget was used to pay for some UORs, these cuts could have been quite serious.
Two other things that are indicative of Brown's attitude to Defence: 1. When Brown was crowned as PM he appointed a part time minister (Des Browne)as Defence Secretary. What an insult at a time when we were fighting wars in two theatres! 2. In a major set piece speech Cameron (correctly)starts of by acknowledging the work of our armed forces. Never seems to happen with Brown - his thanks to the military is hidden well down in his speeches.
I think that this says what we all know about Brown and his attitude to Defence.
No time to be gentlemanly - the Tories have to absolutely nail Brown on this - if the electorate start to realise how he is misrepresenting the figures on this by ignoring inflation then they might start to question all of his dubious statistics, the only thing that Brown seems to rely on to prove his arguments.
Thank god for Cathy Newman I say for doing her job properly.
en will the Tories start fighting the lies... EXPOSURE, even if they have the BBC hding facts they can surely finfsome honest non-Liebour (pending Lords) who want the truth out.
What a shambles our Newspapers are, time to dump them completely.
The BBC have the law on their side more the shame.. TIME FOR CHANGE;
8 comments:
Iain,
I had a look at this as well. The Defence Budget has fallen consistenly as a percentage of GDP (which is the traditional measure of spending) as well as in "Real Terms".
However, the recent falls in real terms either happened when troops were gearing up to go to war in Iraq or during the escalation during 2008 in Afghanistan, exactly when the Budget should have been growing.
When you include the fact that the Core Budget was used to pay for some UORs, these cuts could have been quite serious.
http://bit.ly/9OM9ZW
"We're", "you'll", "I'd" ... The open-necked shirt style of English.
Brown opens mouth; Brown lies.
Is this news?
quite damning! Hurry up election.
Two other things that are indicative of Brown's attitude to Defence:
1. When Brown was crowned as PM he appointed a part time minister (Des Browne)as Defence Secretary. What an insult at a time when we were fighting wars in two theatres!
2. In a major set piece speech Cameron (correctly)starts of by acknowledging the work of our armed forces. Never seems to happen with Brown - his thanks to the military is hidden well down in his speeches.
I think that this says what we all know about Brown and his attitude to Defence.
No time to be gentlemanly - the Tories have to absolutely nail Brown on this - if the electorate start to realise how he is misrepresenting the figures on this by ignoring inflation then they might start to question all of his dubious statistics, the only thing that Brown seems to rely on to prove his arguments.
Thank god for Cathy Newman I say for doing her job properly.
en will the Tories start fighting the lies... EXPOSURE, even if they have the BBC hding facts they can surely finfsome honest non-Liebour (pending Lords) who want the truth out.
What a shambles our Newspapers are, time to dump them completely.
The BBC have the law on their side more the shame.. TIME FOR CHANGE;
What a shame you'd never see such a transparent piece on the BBC News!
Post a Comment