Civil servants in their sights as Tories vow to cut MoD bill by 25%

Published on Thursday 8 October 2009 22:06

THE Tories aim to slash 25 per cent from the cost of running the Ministry of Defence as part of a sweeping review of the UK's military capabilities.

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox told the Conservative conference that civilian staff at the MoD would be cut to boost troops on the frontline.

The review will take account of the "budgetary constraints" a future Tory government will operate under, he said.

Dr Fox accused Labour of creating a "defence black hole" that was not only impacting on operations in Afghanistan but threatened to provide an "on-going defence crisis for years to come".

He told party activists in Manchester after a "decade of neglect," Britain's armed forces found themselves "over-stretched and under-resourced".

Indicating the need for a better balance between civil servants and frontline troops he said that when "Frederick Duke of York was preparing for the Napoleonic threat between 1792 and 1804 he increased the size of the Army from 50,000 to 500,000 – and he did it with 38 staff in Horse Guards.

"Now we have 99,000 in the Army and 85,000 civilians in the MoD.

"Some things are going to have to change and believe me, they will."

A party spokesman said the aim was to cut 25 per cent from the cost of running the MoD, which accounts for around a fifth of the total defence budget.

"In these tough economic times it's extremely important we make government as efficient as possible," said the spokesman.

"We don't believe that the MoD has got the balance right in terms of the amount of resources it devotes to the frontline and the civil service. On coming into office we intend to conduct a capabilities review to look at how we can get a better balance and achieve savings."

Despite the financial constraints caused by the "economic train crash", Dr Fox warned that it would be "indefensible for Britain to give up its minimum nuclear deterrent" in the face of unknown future risks.

"A future Conservative government will never leave this country open to nuclear blackmail and we will guarantee a round-the-clock, submarine-based, nuclear deterrent for this country for as long as it is needed."

Dr Fox said that to better define the country's foreign policy objectives and determine the size and shape of the armed forces, a Conservative government "will launch a strategic defence review immediately on coming to office".

It will define Britain's strategic interests, assess the threats to those interests and determine military capabilities.

Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell MP said: "The Tories have got a lot of questions to answer about defence policy and they need to be clear about who is really in charge of their plans for our armed forces – Liam Fox or George Osborne?"

Miserable record of dangerous blunders and costly delays

THE procurement process used by the Ministry of Defence has a track record of delays and expensive errors.

In 2006, the MoD paid 16 million for 16,000 sets of Osprey protective vests, but problems occurred immediately when Royal Marines complained that they were awkward and immobilising.

When soldiers were fighting in a prone position, they could not lift their heads without their helmets hitting the armour. Some said that when they were caught in a firefight, they preferred to remove the plates and take their chances.

Snatch Land Rovers designed for use in Northern Ireland have also come in for intense criticism as they are particularly vulnerable to roadside bombs. The MoD said it was easier to win the "hearts and minds" of Afghans if soldiers travelled in the lighter vehicles.

The Ridgback armoured vehicles, which were to replace the Snatch Land Rovers, were held up in Dubai during the bloodiest months of the war in Afghanistan, because there were no aircraft to fly them to the front.

This summer, a lack of helicopters also meant increased risk for troops supplying forward bases.

Concerns were raised that a fleet of Merlin helicopters sent to Afghanistan from Iraq would not have adequate protection from Taleban fire.

The MoD has ordered 62 of the next generation of Lynx helicopters at 27m each, but they will not be delivered until 2012. The MoD had the option of buying the Blackhawk helicopter, made by Sikorsky in the US at 8m each, which would have been available last summer.