8:20pm Sunday 5th September 2010
.A BOLTON Euro MP says that plans for the British Navy to combine with French forces should be sunk without trace.
Paul Nuttall, the North West UKIP MEP, says the move — revealed earlier this week — would be a “worrying step towards the creation of an EU defence force”.
He added: “The plans, to be discussed in France this week, demonstrate Britain’s need to disentangle its forces from the European Union and in turn keep command of its own defence.”
Defence Secretary Liam Fox was set to meet with French ministers yesterday to discuss the plans which could see the Royal Navy share the use of its aircraft carriers with France.
The move comes as the Gurkha regiment, which has been part of the British Army for almost 200 years, faces the axe under cuts to defence spending being considered by the coalition Government. Mr Nuttall said: “This coalition Government is repeating the mistakes of previous Governments by starving our Armed Forces of the money it so desperately needs. We need a defence review headed by the chiefs of the armed services to establish what we actually need and whether money is being spent wisely.”
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