Defence of UK – ‘we may need to look at conscription’

LORD Robertson’s recent Strategic Defence Review recommendations must be acted upon with regards to defence spending and the development of our defence capability.

The obvious ways to fund defence is by reducing current welfare spending where we spend 10.3 per cent of GDP in comparison to 2.3per cent of GDP on defence.

The Government also needs to increase taxation to fund defence spending.

We also need to look at how we can resource recruitment in our reservist and cadet forces which may include conscription. We cannot afford to not deliver quickly on these recommendations.

It’s viewed that Russia will be as powerful as NATO militarily by the end of the decade.

The time to act and deliver is now. The country has been failed for the past 20 years in our defence spending.

Let’s hope this Government changes that – it’s had plenty of warnings what we need to do to improve our nation’s protection.

Failure to do so will lead to potential catastrophic consequences.

We can’t say we haven’t been warned.

John Jones,

Birch Close,

York

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York’s got talent!

THE talented and well synchronised Northern Lights A Cappella group of Durham University appeared on BBC1 Breakfast TV on Monday morning, April 13 and in the evening on Look North.

They recently won the UK championship in this distinctive style of music with movement, earning them a spot in the world finals (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) in New York later this month.

One of the students’ strong points, a speciality of theirs, is choreography. ‘Syncopation’ could be their middle name!

Last year they came third in the world championships against stiff competition from American universities. Fingers crossed (in unison) for this year!

Two of the 16-strong ensemble are Durham students from York; Alex – ‘beatboxer’ and Will – bass.

Google the group and find out more. It’s fun; it’s clever; it’s catchy!

Derek Reed,

Middlethorpe Drive,

York

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