UKNDA (UK National Defence Association)

To campaign for sufficient, appropriate and fully funded Armed Forces that the United Kingdom needs to defend effectively this Country, its people, their vital interests and security at home and throughout the world.
Read more

Members Section

Email Address

Password


UKNDA

Click here to join us...

FOR THE UKNDA TO CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVELY FOR

SUFFICIENT, APPROPRIATE &
FULLY FUNDED ARMED FORCES

WE NEED TO DO THREE THINGS
To promote our MESSAGE
To acquire MANY MORE MEMBERS
To gather in MORE MONEY

To support our

"SUPPORT OUR ARMED FORCES CAMPAIGN"

JOIN US NOW

MANIFESTO

MANIFESTO of the 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 wherever they may be.


DEFENCE – THE FACTS:
  • Over the past 25 years the percentage of the UK’s 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 under-funding 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 getting steadily 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 the British Government’s in-depth Strategic Defence Reviews (1998 and supplemental reviews thereafter) their findings have been increasingly reviewed and amended, and their recommendations excessively “adjusted” or abandoned altogether. 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 being built – a 50% reduction in the previously pledged commitment.
  • The Army, with 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 Sir Richard Dannatt – and infantry regiments have been merged or disbanded entirely. The shortage of modern armoured helicopters is a serious constraint on operations, especially in Afghanistan.
  • Overall the Armed Forces are currently (mid 2008) more than 5,000 under strength, with more mid career-experienced personnel leaving early than ever before. Retention rates are bad and getting worse.
  • 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, because of insufficient resources of men or equipment, or inadequate or inappropriate equipment (all caused by chronic under funding), many of our Armed Forces on operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere are 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 and commit to an immediate and sustained real increase in the percentage of GDP allocated annually for Defence and the Armed Forces from its current 2.2% to at least 3%; this would represent an increase of 35-40% over present levels of funding.

AND WHERE IS THIS MONEY TO COME FROM?

For more than a quarter of a century governments of all persuasions have constantly cut defence funding and lowered Defence in the Nation’s list of priorities.  Money “saved” from the Defence budgets has been poured into the big-spending departments – Health, Education and, above all, “Welfare” in all its many forms. The UKNDA contends that the severe over-stretch and under-funding of our Armed Forces, and the adverse effect this has on the Nation’s Defence, dictates that it is now payback time. We must STOP the salami slicing of the Armed Forces. Instead, year on year, we need to take just 1 or 2% from the fat budgets of the big-spending departments and reallocate the sums saved to Defence of the United Kingdom. Put truth back into the oft-repeated claims of all politicians that:                     

DEFENCE IS THE FIRST PRIORITY OF ANY GOVERNMENT