Paying our way

IT is not quite the story of stirring deeds one might find in an Andy McNab novel. Indeed, the shortage of recruits for the SAS is a sobering tale of the straitened times in which we live, with soldiers too busy or simply too tired to apply to the regiment. As such, this country and the safety of its Armed Forces is put at risk.

Only a handful of people know the size of SAS operations but it is clear that a shortage of recruits could harm Britain’s operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. The work of the elite force in seizing “high-value” targets helps protect ordinary soldiers from insurgents. It also undermines their efforts to prevent terrorist attacks being plotted on this island.

These are the reasons why it is short-sighted to force such cuts on the Armed Forces. When they spill over into an SAS staffing crisis then it becomes clear that the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence have gone too far, whatever the need to make savings.

Those at the top of the coalition Government should learn from the courage of Britain’s military men and women, take the flak and give soldiers the money the deserve.