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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Brown denies defence 'guillotine' | Brown denies defence 'guillotine' |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown has denied troops were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan without the equipment they needed after being accused of "guillotining" the budget. | Gordon Brown has denied troops were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan without the equipment they needed after being accused of "guillotining" the budget. |
| In angry Commons exchanges, Tory leader David Cameron picked up on the claim from ex-MOD mandarin Sir Kevin Tebbit to the UK's inquiry into the Iraq war. | In angry Commons exchanges, Tory leader David Cameron picked up on the claim from ex-MOD mandarin Sir Kevin Tebbit to the UK's inquiry into the Iraq war. |
| Mr Cameron said the PM ignored forces' welfare until it became "politically convenient to do otherwise". | Mr Cameron said the PM ignored forces' welfare until it became "politically convenient to do otherwise". |
| But Mr Brown said defence spending had risen to meet the challenge. | But Mr Brown said defence spending had risen to meet the challenge. |
| He said it was not fair to troops in Afghanistan to suggest otherwise, adding: "They are properly equipped for the job they are doing." | He said it was not fair to troops in Afghanistan to suggest otherwise, adding: "They are properly equipped for the job they are doing." |
| 'Properly equipped' | 'Properly equipped' |
| The clash came minutes before Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth began making a Commons statement on the strategic defence review. | The clash came minutes before Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth began making a Commons statement on the strategic defence review. |
| Mr Cameron said: "Isn't it becoming clear from the Chilcot inquiry that the government in general, and you in particular, made a series of bad decisions that meant our armed forces were not equipped properly when they were sent into harm's way?" | Mr Cameron said: "Isn't it becoming clear from the Chilcot inquiry that the government in general, and you in particular, made a series of bad decisions that meant our armed forces were not equipped properly when they were sent into harm's way?" |
| The most important question raised by the Green Paper is: "What does Britain want to do in the world?" Jonathan BealeBBC News Questions on future of UK military class="" href="/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8494547.stm">UK 'must co-operate' on defence | |
| As Labour backbenchers furiously heckled the Conservative leader, Mr Brown replied: "I will welcome the opportunity to speak to the Chilcot inquiry. | As Labour backbenchers furiously heckled the Conservative leader, Mr Brown replied: "I will welcome the opportunity to speak to the Chilcot inquiry. |
| "But you must know that defence spending rose every year and it was the fastest rises for 20 years - and that Iraq and Afghanistan received £14bn from the contingency reserve to enable the fighting there to take place. | "But you must know that defence spending rose every year and it was the fastest rises for 20 years - and that Iraq and Afghanistan received £14bn from the contingency reserve to enable the fighting there to take place. |
| "Not only did we prepare the Army, Navy and Air Forces with proper funding, but we also funded every urgent operational requirement that was made. | "Not only did we prepare the Army, Navy and Air Forces with proper funding, but we also funded every urgent operational requirement that was made. |
| "I don't believe it is in the interests of this House to tell people that when funding was provided they were not properly equipped." | "I don't believe it is in the interests of this House to tell people that when funding was provided they were not properly equipped." |
| Trident claim | |
| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg also seized on Sir Kevin Tebbit's evidence to the Chilcot inquiry, using it to lambast the government over its commitment to replacing Trident nuclear weapons. | |
| I think it's fair to say that the Treasury as a whole didn't want us to get as much as we got Sir Kevin Tebbit, former MoD permanent secretary Vietnam 'affected Iraq planning' | |
| He said: "We've got troops in battle without proper equipment, 'guillotined' defence budgets and a world which has changed out of all recognition since the Cold War. | |
| "Yet you want to spend billions of pounds of taxpayers' money replacing and renewing a nuclear missile system designed to flatten Moscow at the touch of a button. | |
| "How are we going to face the threats this country faces, if government thinking is so stuck in the past?" | |
| On Wednesday morning, the Chilcot inquiry was told Mr Brown, when chancellor, had insisted on a "complete guillotine" of defence spending in December 2003 - just nine months after the invasion of Iraq was launched. | |
| Former Ministry of Defence permanent secretary Sir Kevin Tebbit called the £1bn cut "arbitrary". | |
| 'Major savings' | |
| He said: "In the December of 2003, the chancellor of the day instituted a complete guillotine on our settlement, and we were, from then on, controlled by cash rather than resources... | |
| "It meant that we had to go in for a very major savings exercise." | |
| But the settlement of 2004 resulted in "almost £4bn of extra cash". | |
| This agreement had been reached "at about 10 at night by the chancellor, the defence secretary and myself - about six hours before the whole public spending settlement was published", Sir Kevin said. | |
| He added: "I think it's fair to say that the Treasury as a whole didn't want us to get as much as we got." | |
| "The final settlement in 2004 was a normal, hard negotiation... The guillotine that came in 2003 was an arbitrary issue." | |
| Sir Kevin said: "That would not have made an effect on Iraq or Afghanistan... but [would have involved] a longer-term restructuring of the defence programme." | |
| Several witnesses have told the inquiry that preparations for what became a long campaign, including equipment provision, were inadequate. | |
| Last week, former Prime Minister Tony Blair told the inquiry that planning for the immediate aftermath of the initial military campaign had not been "cavalier". | |
| The Iraq inquiry is looking at the UK's role in the build-up, conduct and aftermath of the Iraq war, in which 179 service personnel died. It is expected to report next year. |