In a news story in the Gazette (July 18), our local MP, Sir Bob Russell , was reported as having challenged the Prime Minister over the decision to cut the size of the Army to 80,000. It added that Mr Cameron said: “Sir Bob speaks with great power about military issues.”
This is only partly what the Prime Minister said. What was written was rather misleading. It suggested – emphasised by the headline – that Mr Cameron had praised Sir Bob. In fact, he simply referred to the fact Sir Bob was an MP with a garrison in his constituency and therefore powerfully vocal in his regular comments on Army matters.
The PM then proceeded to argue that, with 80,000 soldiers and 30,000 Territorial personnel, the numbers were of “a similar size” to those before the cuts.
He added the Government had inherited a £38billion deficit from Labour, which had now been closed, and ended with the claim “this country under this coalition Government will always be well defended”.
One can disagree with the views expressed on the cuts by the PM (and I do), but to make out Mr Cameron had praised Sir Bob was totally misleading, and cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.
For the benefit of readers, this is a transcript of the words spoken in Parliament by Mr Cameron: “I know that, with the Colchester garrison in his constituency, the honourable gentleman speaks with great power about military issues. If he looks at the overall balance of what we are doing, with 80,000 regular soldiers and 30,000 Territorial Army fully funded, that will mean that the Army is a similar size after the reforms to what it was before.
“Much the most important thing is that we inherited a £38billion deficit in our defence budget. We have closed that deficit and it is now fully funded.
“We have some huge investments going ahead for our Army, our Navy and our Air Force. This country under this coalition Government will always be well defended.”
Harry Royle
Press Officer
UKIP Colchester
Newcastle Avenue
Colchester
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