Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Tories: We’ll side with Labour if May tries to slash Marines
TORY backbenchers have vowed to join Labour to thwart a feared Government bid to reduce the country’s defences.
Uncertainty surrounds the futures of landing ships Bulwark and Albion and hundreds of Royal Marines.
Last night in the Commons Conservative James Gray fumed:
“If Bulwark were to go and there were to be 1,000 people cut in the Royal Marines I and, I think, many on our side of the House would not support the Government.”
Former Tory Defence Minister Mark Francois warned of low morale and said suggestions the Army could be slashed from its target 82,000 to 50,000 would be resisted by many colleagues. Tory MP and ex-soldier Bob Seely said the Navy had too few surface vessels to protect its new aircraft carriers which would be forced to “go home and sit in a base” during a major conflict.