David Cameron 'intervenes on (UK) defence' (7-8% budget cut)

[pampango]

Source: BBC

Defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said the MoD expected a 7% budget cut, but the Treasury raised this to 10%.

However, the final figure is thought to be below 10% following Mr Cameron's intervention, our correspondent added.

The defence secretary seemed to have got cuts of between seven and eight per cent, our correspondent added.

The BBC understands that both planned aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, will be built - but the Royal Navy stands to lose a significant portion of its surface fleet, while the order for the joint strike fighters for the carriers will be scaled down substantially.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11556770

[denem]

1. 10% cut then Cameron intervened after Hillary invervened.

Hillary Clinton 'worried' by UK defence cuts
US secretary of state says plans to cut the Ministry of Defence budget by 10% concern Washington

Record Europe in Brussels, Clinton was asked whether she was worried about the planned cuts in Britain. "It does, and the reason it does is because I think we do have to have an alliance where there is a commitment to the common defence. Nato has been the most successful alliance for defensive purposes in the history of the world I guess, but it has to be maintained. Now, each country has to be able to make its appropriate contributions." http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/14/hillary-clinton-uk-defence-cuts

Extraordinary.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Newsflash to the UK government: You're not an empire anymore

Cut your military budget and spend some money healing the wounds that are Margaret Thatcher's legacy.

[Alcibiades]

3. And, of course, we are not either

I wish we were as sensible as the Brits, and began to make these sorts of cuts.