MANIFESTO

MANIFESTO of

The United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA)

The PURPOSE OF THE UKNDA is to campaign for:

SUFFICIENT, APPROPRIATE AND FULLY FUNDED ARMED FORCES
needed to ensure the effective defence of the United Kingdom, its people, their security and vital interests at home and worldwide.

WE CONTEND IT IS SELF EVIDENT THAT:

• Over the past 25 years since the Falklands War the percentage of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) invested in Defence and the Armed Forces has been remorselessly reduced from over 5% to the point where it is now barely 2.2%.
  
  
• This underfunding results in inadequate numbers of personnel and equipment.  Politicians of all parties chant the mantra that “Defence is the first priority of Government” – but the evidence shows otherwise – Defence is low, and steadily getting lower, in the Nation’s list of priorities.
  
  
• All of our Armed Forces have been repeatedly reduced in size and capability so that they are now chronically over-stretched for the tasks they have been given or that they may have to face over the next generation.
  
  
• The evidence for the above statements has been growing ever more clear and stark.  The Falklands War was won by the narrowest of margins – “a damn close run thing”, as Wellington said after Waterloo!
  
  
• The ‘Peace Dividend’ at the supposed end of the Cold War has been taken not once, but repeatedly – but now elements of the old-style ‘Cold War’ are again rearing their heads, with the Russian government quadrupling their defence expenditure over the past five years.
  
  
• Despite in-depth Strategic Defence Reviews (1998 and supplemental reviews thereafter) their findings have been increasingly abandoned and their recommendations excessively ‘adjusted’, for which read ‘reduced’.  The Royal Navy’s Destroyer and Frigate Forces have been reduced progressively from 50 to 32 (then declared to be the irreversible minimum) and are now down to 25 and still shrinking.  SDR 98 stated that 12 of the new ‘world-leading’ Type 45 DARING class Destroyers were required. Almost ten years later only 6 are on order, with a ‘possible’ two more to come “if finances allow”.
  
  
• The Army, with a trained manpower strength now below 100,000, is grievously short of ‘boots on the ground’ - at least 3,000 short according to its Chief, General Dannatt – Infantry regiments being merged or disbanded entirely. The shortage of modern armoured helicopters is a constraint on operations, especially in Afghanistan.
  
  
• The RAF has an increasingly obsolete Transport Force and insufficient helicopters to provide the Army with adequate air to ground strike capability, force support and casualty evacuation. Lack of spares results in excessive ‘store-robbing’ from operational aircraft.
  
  
• Most crucially of all, many of our Armed Forces on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere are, as a direct result of insufficient funding and sometimes insufficient or  inappropriate equipment, at greater risk of wounding or death than might otherwise be the case.
  This is unacceptable and indefensible!

WHAT DOES THE UKNDA PROPOSE?

We urge politicians of all parties and persuasions to support an immediate and sustained real increase in the percentage of GDP allocated annually for ”Defence and the Armed Forces” to at least 3%; this would represent an increase of 35-40% over present levels of funding.

It is no exaggeration to say that inadequate funding of Defence is placing our Forces at unnecessary risk.  All too often the men and women of our Armed Forces are paying the price in blood.

WHERE IS THE DETAILED UKNDA ‘CASE’ TO BE FOUND?

Annexed to this Manifesto are three summarised reports on the problems facing each of our Armed Forces, and further briefs summarise ‘More Money for Defence’ and ‘The Threats’ potentially facing the United Kingdom and its vital interests.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

To have political ‘clout’ and influence the UKNDA must become a mass membership Association. Our immediate target is a membership of 10,000 – then 100,000 and more.  If YOU care – join us.

Join the UKNDA as a subscribing member and tell your friends about this web site to add to our numbers and resources and so increase our influence.

Write to your local and national newspapers about your concerns for our Forces.

Write to your MP on every appropriate occasion drawing their attention to the UKNDA and its purpose. Ask your MP to tell you his/her position and views relating to Defence and the funding of our Armed Forces.

THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.
WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
JOIN US NOW AND DO THAT “SOMETHING” THAT MUST BE DONE

And now to consider the financial issues - click on

MORE MONEY FOR DEFENCE at the top left of this page