Despite all the evidence to the contrary, there are, apparently, some people in this country who still believe that Tony Blair has a good long-term plan to ensure the UK’s ability to act as an effective member of NATO, and for that matter protect itself. They should read the Telegraph today for details of the latest fiasco:

Royal Navy commanders were in uproar yesterday after it was revealed that almost half of the Fleet’s 44 warships are to be mothballed as part of a Ministry of Defence cost-cutting measure. Senior officers have said the plans will turn Britain’s once-proud Navy into nothing more than a coastal defence force. The Government has admitted that 13 unnamed warships are in a state of reduced readiness, putting them around 18 months away from active service. Today The Daily Telegraph can name a further six destroyers and frigates that are being proposed for cuts. A need to cut the defence budget by £250 million this year to meet spending requirements has forced ministers to look at drastic measures. MoD sources have admitted it is possible that the Royal Navy will discontinue one of its major commitments around the world at a time when Sir Jonathon Band, the First Sea Lord, has said more ships are needed to protect the high seas against terrorism and piracy. News of further cuts to what was once the world’s most formidable fleet comes as critics say failings across the Services are becoming increasingly apparent. More details are emerging of the near-squalor that soldiers are forced to tolerate in barracks when they return from six months of dangerous overseas operations. Questions have also been raised about the poor pay for troops and equipment failures which continue to dog operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.