Nobody in their right mind thinks that the UK’s army should be staffed at the same level as at the height of the Cold War.
But with all the talk about a potentially imminent conflict between Russia and NATO, or worries about a conflict with China that could rope in the Brits, it seems a bit odd that the UK is reducing its army’s size yet again, to a level 1/10th that of 1950.
It’s a pretty stunning move, cutting the army’s size by 10% to a level that hasn’t been seen since Napoleon’s time. There is no “right” size for a military–you want just enough to deter your enemies or defeat them if necessary and not so much that it presents too great a burden on the rest of the economy. Achieving that balance is a matter of guesswork, prudent judgment, and political will.
Grant Shapps defends cuts to troop numbers because soldiers have a “can-do” attitude:
