Government figures released today show that the Armed Forces are
10,000 below the strength Ministers say are needed to keep the
country safe. Despite the deep cuts to forces numbers, the new data
shows Conservative Ministers have missed their personnel targets
every year since 2010, leaving the Armed Forces a quarter smaller
than they were a decade ago. It will take another 6 years to get
the Armed Forces up to the level pledged by Ministers in...Request free trial
Government figures released today show that the Armed Forces
are 10,000 below the strength Ministers say are needed to keep
the country safe.
Despite the deep cuts to forces numbers, the new data shows
Conservative Ministers have missed their personnel targets
every year since 2010, leaving the Armed Forces a quarter
smaller than they were a decade ago.
It will take another 6 years to get the Armed Forces up to the
level pledged by Ministers in 2015, in the last Government
Defence Review.
MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary said:
“Ministers have failed for a decade to get Britain’s frontline
Forces up to strength. They’ve made deep cuts in our military
since 2010, so our Armed Forces are now a quarter smaller and
over 10,000 below the strength they said in 2015 was needed to
keep the UK safe.
“High Tech weapons are essential, but our highly trained
personnel are indispensable. Ministers must now put our
military personnel at the heart of defence plans for the
future.”
Ends
Notes to editors
Full-Time Trained Strength for all service branches:
|
Year - October
|
Target full time strength[1]
|
Actual strength
|
Surplus/shortfall
|
|
2010
|
179,000
|
178,560
|
-440
|
|
2011
|
177,040
|
174,030
|
-3020
|
|
2012
|
168,890
|
165,894
|
-2996
|
|
2013
|
161,298
|
156,694
|
-4,604
|
|
2014
|
152,977
|
146,979
|
-5998
|
|
2015
|
147,399
|
141,394
|
-6005
|
|
2016
|
145,717
|
139,475
|
-6242
|
|
2017
|
145,437
|
137,280
|
-8157
|
|
2018
|
144,948
|
135,364
|
-9584
|
|
2019
|
144,497
|
132,343
|
-12,154
|
|
2020
|
144 643
|
134 195
|
-10,448
|
Sources:
|
