Portsmouth MP and shadow defence minister Stephen Morgan has said cuts to the Armed Forces is a ‘significant gamble’, after it was reported RAF and Royal Marines numbers will be cut.
According to plans proposed by the military reported in The Times, the Royal Marines are set to lose 400 posts, from 6,500 to 6,100. Meanwhile, the RAF is also expected to lose 300 personnel by 2025, with full-time personnel currently at 1,850.
In comes after it was confirmed in the Defence Command Paper published on Monday that the Army would be cut by 10,000, including cuts to the number of tanks, the number of planes for the RAF and the number of ships for the Royal Navy.
At the last election the Conservatives promised they would “not be cutting our armed services in any form”. But this week they have done just that: cutting the British Army by 10,000.
During Prime Minister’s Questions today Labour made clear it won’t support any further cuts to our Armed Forces; and has today called on the Government to put their plans for any further cuts to a vote in Parliament.
Stephen Morgan MP, Shadow Armed Forces Minister, said:
“These cuts represent a significant gamble with our national security, threatening to undermine our capacity to deploy overseas, support allies and maintain domestic resilience.
“There’s a pattern with this government: they promised our NHS would have whatever they need – now nurses are getting a pay cut. They promised a tax guarantee – now they’re putting taxes up for families. They promised they wouldn’t cut the Armed Forces – now they have.
“I know these reports will be particularly concerning to those in Portsmouth and Labour will endeavour to stop the cuts by calling for a vote in Parliament on the Government’s plans.”
Mr Morgan called the decision to cut the Army by 10,000 a ‘mistake’, after it was confirmed on Monday in Parliament.
