Well, this is good for morale

[OfflineFor30Seconds]

More cuts to be announced. This is in addition to the job cuts already specified so unless I've missed something, there'll be further slashings made.

Yes I saw that too, how can you make more cuts when people are already doing the jobs of ten men and working 100+ hours a week.
They also mentioned "It is understood that measures to improve soldiers' welfare in areas such as health, housing and education for forces' children will also be revealed." on a plus side although I did think that was part of the military covenant so once that goes into law at least we may have a way to complain

Reading the link this is just the routine annual planning rounds starting for next financial year- where we all have to justify why our needs are greater than the next project/plan/training etc. It happens every year now whereas it used to be every 3 I think.

I think though that our lovely Defence Sec isn't happy at his budgets being ripped to pieces and the overseas aid budget is being ringfenced/increased.

Article in DT yesterday that the PM is at loggerheads with CDS over finances and that the PM thinks the Forces can do everything they do now and more with less.

Instead of overseas aid, give us back the LOA they've taken away....that should count as Overseas Aid!

Good point Scary!!

Why do we give money to other countries when we are broke and very overdrawn ourselves, charity begins at home etc etc. Is it because we feel guilty that we go in start wars, destroy countries and then run off like a dog with their tale between their legs?

Did you read the BBC bit about increasing op tour bonus again, if they didn't cut the budget and numbers of service personnel then they wouldn't feel quite so guilty about taking taxes from people who could realistically pay their taxes in some Middle Eastern country

Sorry, having bad day will get off my soap box now

As far as I can work out some of the foreign aid is actually a bribe by any other name (which makes a mockery of the new Bribery Act), but the FCO and the govt call it something different.

I cannot understand why we pay it to India and Pakistan when they have money to invest in space and nuclear programmes, but not to provide even a basic level of subsistence for large swathes of their populations.

It also occurs to me that giving aid to places like the DRC, and Sierra Leone is a waste, until they decide to sort themselves out. We seem to chuck money at some parts of Africa, but to no avail, whereas others use the money wisely.