On behalf of 8,000 specialists in the MOD, National Secretary Steve Jary said it was irrational for the government to embark on such a savage round of cuts in advance of the planned strategic defence review (SDR).

”The government has put the cart before the horse. What possible advantage is there to making swingeing cuts to MOD running costs before the SDR has even begun?

"The whole rationale of the SDR is to establish the future needs and direction of our defence and security policy. Funding should flow from the decisions made by the review. The danger is that the UK’s defence capability will be hamstrung as a result.

“Liam Fox plucked the 25 per cent figure out of the air last year. It is based on no analysis at all. We urge the government to step back and complete the SDR before finalising its spending plans.”