£9.8 BILLION
The st aggering sum MPs say defence chiefs must cut – just to buy ships and f ighter j ets they need
THE Ministry of Defence cannot afford to buy the stealth fighters and warships it had planned unless it slashes a staggering £9.8 billion from its budget.
MPs have warned top brass that saving such a figure – more than a quarter of its annual £37 billion spending – would be unrealistic without drastically affecting Britain’s fighting capabilities.
Our Armed Forces have already been decimated in recent years, and a planned £178 billion shopping list of new hardware would require savings that the Defence Select Committee fears are unattainable.
The MoD plans to buy kit including F-35 Lightning fighters, at £65 million apiece, to go on its two new aircraft carriers, and replacements for eight Type 23 frigates, among many other items. But the plans are now at risk after question marks were raised over how they would be paid for.
Last night a Tory member of the Select Committee threatened to give Theresa May an ultimatum. Johnny Mercer, who previously served as a British Army officer in Afghanistan, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I intend to make it politically impossible for this Prime Minister to reduce spending or capability any further.
‘There is no point talking about a global, assertive Britain in a post-Brexit world without funding Armed Forces capable of delivering it. Political influence goes hand-in-hand with military capability. We need to have a grown-up, informed debate about what we want from this nation’s military and then put that against a long-term funding solution.’
The Army’s full-time strength has fallen from 102,000 to 78,000 soldiers since 2012, the RAF has lost 280 aircraft since 2010, and the Navy’s fleet of frigates and destroyers has been cut from 33 to 19 since 2000.
The MPs’ report is heavily critical of the MoD’s sums, saying there was a ‘lack of clarity’ as to where the savings would come from. It says: ‘Additional steps should be taken to explain the source of the efficiency savings… We require greater clarity as to the difference between genuine improvements and efficiency and cuts in personnel, equipment and capability.
‘The affordability of the plan is now at greater risk than at any time… making transparency of the utmost importance.’
Defence experts say the plunge in the value of sterling following the vote to leave the EU had added to the cost of buying equipment from international manufacturers.
A £30 billion black hole in defence spending plans has already been widely reported. The MoD is already seeking £3 billion a year in savings within a decade to plug this gap.
The MoD said last night: ‘In the face of intensifying threats, our £178 billion Equipment Plan continues to deliver the cuttingedge kit to keep the UK safe. We are making good progress towards our efficiency target. We always look to provide the best value for money for the taxpayer, with all savings reinvested in defence.’