The government has been accused of wasting billions of pounds of defence spending which could have reversed cuts to Devonport-based warships.
Plymouth Labour MP Luke Pollard claimed the lost £13billion was caused by mismanagement in the Ministry of Defence and by government ministers.
A government defence review announced last March that the two oldest Devonport-based frigates would be retired and the savings used to pay for the next generation of warships.
HMS Monmouth was decommissioned in June and HMS Montrose is due to go out of service later this year after returning from operations in the Gulf.
But I guess the long march through the institutions got there in the end.
Labour said the lost money could have paid for more tanks, aircraft and warships and avoided cuts in the recent Integrated Defence Review.
Of course, being Labour, he'd no doubt demand they didn't do anything other than escort 'refugees' to our shores anyway...
H/T: i.r.Jackson via email
5 comments:
Most MoD projects take many years, while the system is, or was, of posting senior officers in for a 2 or 3 year tenure. What one incumbent will think is a good idea, the next one may want minor changes, and so on. This is believed to be the cause of the worst battle tank introduced into the British Army since WW1.
The tragedy is that no one is ever named, shamed, or blamed and, as the money comes from taxpayers, no one is really bothered.
Penseivat
As poor as some MOD Prpcurement is, that £13Bn figure is not from an independently produced source. It is a politically driven document from Labour.
See this, from a knowledgeable Blogger, and draw own conclusions:
https://thinpinstripedline.blogspot.com/2022/01/costing-up-value-of-everything-is-there.html?m=1
The MoD is top heave with civil servants that generally know nothing other than feathering their nest - not the way to run the military.
MoD used to have its own bunch of engineers who would give technical advice - all the Defence Research Establishments.
They were all flogged off and are now one of the contractors.
The lowest bid always (nearly) wins the contract.
The customer MoD always wants tweaks.
This is where the money is.
"You want what, Guv?" Sucking in of air through teeth.
Total rejig of contract with no competitors.
I know of one contract where MoD actually said "Just give us what you contracted to do. No, we don't want any changes."
Contractor apoplexy.
"The tragedy is that no one is ever named, shamed, or blamed and, as the money comes from taxpayers, no one is really bothered."
Deep pockets, and short memories...
"...that £13Bn figure is not from an independently produced source. It is a politically driven document from Labour."
Ah!
"...with civil servants that generally know nothing other than feathering their nest - not the way to run the military."
Who are all probably 'working from home' too!
"MoD used to have its own bunch of engineers who would give technical advice - all the Defence Research Establishments.
They were all flogged off and are now one of the contractors."
I remember that! Everyone else could see it would be a disaster...
Post a Comment