Epic, what a good and balanced response if I can say so without appearing patronising (definitely not intended). Of course there has to be a juggling act between expenditure on defence and all the other priorities facing government. But for them the temptation always seems to be to give way to the easy populist options rather than to face up to the fundamental issue of defence of the realm. Of course most people would prefer more hospitals or schools than infantry battalions, or RN destroyers, in an ideal world. But the ideal world ain't actually like that and defence is a basic necessity ... and has to be planned well ahead, both in terms of trained manpower and of equipment which may well take years to be developed.
As to Trident, it has been tremendous value to our security over very many years and, despite the misguided bleatings of those like Vince McCabe, we most definitely need to keep it as a not-all-that-costly insurance against any possible future nuclear threat.
Tony.
|