Army cut to 50,000 ‘could not defend UK’

BRITAIN would not be able to defend itself if the Army was shrunk to 50,000 troops, the Defence Secretary declared last night.

Gavin Williamson described cutting the Army from its size of 78,000 to such a low level as ‘ridiculous’.

His comments came after it was claimed that Chancellor Philip Hammond had enraged defence chiefs by telling Theresa May the Army only needed a 50,000-strong force.

Mr Hammond reportedly suggested this would be enough for the Army to carry out its key standing task to send a division to fight a war. But last night Mr Williamson vowed to maintain a ‘world class Armed Forces’ as he slapped down the idea of drastic cuts.

The former chief whip told the Mail: ‘You can’t have a British Army of 50,000 men. If you had an army of 50,000 we wouldn’t be able to defend ourselves properly. We wouldn’t be able to provide the defence that the British people expect that this country has.’

He also pointed out that there was a manifesto commitment to keep the size of the army the same and said MPs took that ‘very seriously’.

Sources close to the Chancellor yesterday said claims he believed the Army should be cut to 50,000 troops were ‘utterly untrue’.