20,000 jobs to go in (UK) defence shake-up

[TahitiNut]

20,000 jobs to go in defence shake-up

Sarah Left and agencies
Wednesday July 21, 2004

Almost 20,000 military and civilian posts are to be cut in the biggest shake-up of the armed services for a generation, the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, announced today.

The RAF will bear the brunt of the cuts, losing around 7,500 jobs, with the navy facing cuts of up to 1,500 serving personnel.

The army will lose the equivalent of four infantry battalions - three from England and one from Scotland. The numbers of aircraft, tanks and ships will also be reduced.

Mr Hoon also announced the loss of 10,000 civilian support staff, and told the House of Commons that the changes would be completed by 2008.

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[TahitiNut]

1. BBC: 20,000 posts go in defence cuts

20,000 posts go in defence cuts

Forces numbers will be cut
Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced large cuts in the armed forces as part of modernisation plans.

By 2008 the RAF will shed 7,500 jobs, the Navy 1,500 with a further 10,000 civilian posts also lost. Aircraft, tank and ship numbers will also be cut.

Flexibility and the ability to fight far from the UK is key, says Mr Hoon.

Tory Nicholas Soames said personnel would feel "betrayed politically and morally" and the public would be "dismayed" by "underhand" treatment.

For the Lib Dems, Paul Keetch said: "Iraq has shown that winning the peace needs more troops on the ground than winning the war."

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