The next round of defence cuts have struck and 5,000 more soldiers face redundancy. This is foolhardy in the extreme and I and many of my colleagues have said so, repeatedly. As instability around the world now moves to north Africa, and the Prime Minister does not rule out boots on the ground, we should be investing in our armed services, not cutting them. I appreciate money is tight, but it must be found from other portfolios, like, for example, overseas aid. The defence of our country and dependents and our NATO commitment do not come cheap, but freedom never does. History shows what happens when we cut corners; we get caught out! I am particularly concerned about the Royal Navy, which we will need for out of area operations like Mali. Our two new aircraft carriers and aircraft to fly off them are years away and yet our rhetoric is that of a nation fully prepared for any eventuality. We simply are not. This careless disregard for our national security is deeply concerning, not least by an island nation who you would have thought might have learnt from history by now.