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Fallon celebrates the Defense budget increase, 'for the first time in six years'

Saturday, April 2nd 2016 - 07:36 UTC
Full article 33 comments

United Kingdom Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said that April first marks the beginning of a new financial year, but above all a remarkable turnaround: “a major milestone for Defense with our budget increasing for the first time in six years in real terms”. Read full article

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  • tezza

    The UK doesn't have a 'defense' secretary, we have a 'defence' secretary, probably because we use the English language properly.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 12:06 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    And there is no whining in the UK either, there being quite proper whingeing in its stead.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 01:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Alejomartinez

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/falklands-islands-left-with-no-royal-navy-warship-protection-for-first-time-since-1982-conflict-a6964491.html

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 05:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • ChrisR

    @ 3 Allo Sailor

    So you fell for it as well, eh?

    Nobody mentioned the Astute sub lying well within cruise missile range of BsAs.

    But just how could Argentina actually attack the Falklands with no ships, an army without bullets and an airforce without working planes?

    Ha, ha, ha.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 06:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • El Diego

    I had the pleasure of attending a polo event with Prince Charles the other weekend during a trip to London. We were invited to a private dinner party attended by certain members of the British civil service. The talk at that dinner party was all about the behind the scenes wrangling thats going on in preparation for handing the islands back to Argentina. David Cameron is determined to end historic hostilities (and associated costs) with Argentina and whilst its a very divisive issue within the government there is no doubt about the direction this is heading.

    The latest announcement by the UN was another step in that process and orchestrated by the British government.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 06:27 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Roisin Dubh

    @5
    April Fool's Day is 1 April for the UK, although I can understand it being 2 April for Argentina.
    By the way, Prince Charles has not had any polo engagements since July 2015. The Royal Family's official engagements are all on the web so you're indulging in the usual Argentine national pastime for telling lies.
    By the way, what makes you think you would be admitted to the upper echelons of British society? LOL.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 07:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Clyde15

    #6
    Just the bog standard Argentine mental illness of hearing voices in his head.
    Probably escaped from the institution due to staff cuts.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 08:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • golfcronie

    @5
    You are a Dago, oops wrong spelling Diego

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 08:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • El Diego

    Oh dear the mercopress peasants are upset. if only there was a brain cell between you all you may even be able to make a coherent comment. Las Malvinas son nuestras and now it's clear to everyone the double speak of the British government as they prepare to stab the islanders in the back hand over the islands. Looking forward to getting my company's hands on those offshore oilfields. Tonight we are having dinner with the Osborne family and discussing investments with Chinese government officials.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 09:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LEPRecon

    @5 & @9

    You're a funny guy, with a dry sense of humour.

    Just think, all that money the UK spends on defence. Just think of the UK having some of the most advance weaponry in the world. In fact the UK (BAE) has created a cloaking device that can hide ships, planes and tanks from detection.
    http://www.baesystems.com/en/feature/adativ-cloak-of-invisibility

    Just think about how Argentina will never get it's thieving hands on the Falkland Islands.

    But the biggest joke of all is the fact that the Argentines truly believe that they can if they crawl, cry, lie, threaten, beg and humiliate themselves enough. They honestly believe that the UK will just hand them over, lock, stock and barrel without the permission of the Falkland Islanders despite ALL of the evidence to the contrary.

    Well it's impossible for the UK to hand the Falkland Islands over to Argentina or anyone else for that matter. Why?

    1. Any Government (regardless of whether they are Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem etc...) would be committing political suicide to even mention it, let alone try to do it (the same would be true for Gibraltar).
    2. The UK Government doesn't own the Falkland Islands, so they have no right to give them away to anyone. Only the people who own the Falkland Islands have a right to do that...and the owners of the Falkland Islands are called the Falkland Islanders.

    That's right. Three thousand Falkland Islanders run circles around 40,000,000 Argentines every day...and that is really funny.

    It's really amusing at how the Falkland Islands Government can out politick, out manoeuvre and out wit the Argentine Government. Basically a 'parish' local government can out think and out do a 'national' government any day of the week.

    Now that really is the funniest thing ever.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 10:30 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    The only reason that the Falkland Islands exist is to allow the Argentines to make complete fools of themselves while all the world sniggers uncontrollably behind their backs.

    Argentina will be paying for the 1982 Falklands war until the year 2056, assuming that they don't default, buy another inter-city bus, or elect another Peronist dog-catcher again until then, in which case it will take considerably longer.

    Argentina's attempt to offer to purchase the islands outright was abandoned when they could not collect enough to pay for two bottles of Fernet and an oil-change for their sole operational tractor.

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 11:23 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    ,'We'll be back' Argentina's chilling warning to Britain over 'defenceless' Falklands

    ARGENTINA tonight used the anniversary of its invasion of the Falklands to issue a chilling warning to Britain over the future of the islands amid accusations Government cuts have left them virtually defenceless
    http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/657735/Falklands-Islands-Argentina-Britain-warning-invasion-anniversary

    Mr Macri - a conservative who has struck a more conciliatory tone with Britain over the islands - insisted the Falklands are “inexorably ours” in a statement released on the 34th anniversary of his country's illegal invasion of the archipelago
    “We'll be back using the strength of dialogue, the strength of the truth and the full force of the justice system.”
    Earlier today Labour accused the Government of bungling incompetence over its management of the defence of the Falklands, whose 3,000 inhabitants overwhelmingly wish to remain British

    p/s
    We can’t even send military to Gibraltar,
    can’t save the steel industry,
    can’t say no to our new over lords,
    So the bots may perhaps wish they took up fully integrated with the UK and send MPs to Westminster,
    Alas- what do I know, but it seems the argy pen, may well prove mightier than British steel.

    Just an innocent observation..

    Apr 02nd, 2016 - 11:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • LukeDig

    Thats right keep spending trillions on “defence” whilst people hunger in your own country. Funny lot uh?

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 02:31 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    If they get hungry enough, they'll start looking for work.

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 03:55 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • golfcronie

    @13
    Just look in your own backyard Luke, 35% in Argentina are in poverty. You lot are just lazy, just like when the Labour government in the UK were in power they gave handouts to the poor, now Camoron is addressing that.

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 09:15 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Britworker

    El Dego, what other nation has an air force base and sovereign territory on the edge of antartica with all the resource rich minerals in and around our own territorial waters. Tell me exactly why it is in our interest to gift wrap all that for Argentina, please explain why we would be investing £180 million on improving the air defences on the islands if we were intending to give them to you?

    http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/air-space/isr/2015/03/24/falklands-britain-invest-air-defense-fallon-chinook-radar-gbad-argentina/70372722/

    Argentina is annoying, I will give you that, for a country with nothing to give you have managed to garner support from our enemies and are using them at the UN to great effect. But territories only change hands as a result of war and that's the bit you are not very good at, but we are.

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 11:36 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • El Diego

    The British are turning away from the islands to address more immediate security problems in Europe and the Middle East. Cameron is smart and he knows there is no longer an appetite to play imperial power games in the South Atlantic and in addition Britain simply can't afford it. This is common knowledge in diplomatic circles and thats whats being leaked and drip fed to the press in preparation to hand the island back.

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 03:15 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Clyde15

    #17
    Common knowledge in diplomatic circles. Oh, of course, you move in these circles.
    Do you serve the refreshments or clean the toilets ?

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 04:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • El Diego

    “At first, they'll only dislike what you say, but the more correct you start sounding the more they'll insult and dislike you.”

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 04:14 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Troy Tempest

    19

    Did you just learn that catch-phrase?

    You seem to repeat it often enough that you must enjoy it, but its impact is also diminished.

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 04:28 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Pete Bog

    @3

    Quick! No time to lose!

    You'd better get your Tucano fighter aircraft ready -with Argentinian macho bullshit, the pilots wearing Malvinas tora tora tora bandanas, and playing heavy rock music in the cockpit and with their machine guns they should make light work of the Typhoons, and with no ship to defend the Islands your Russian tugs can just steam right on in.

    And don't worry if there is an Astute class sub within 2000 miles as your diesel subs can take it on, if it's within the 19 hour period of the year when they can submerge.

    Yeah, I can see why the UK troops are crapping themselves at this very moment!

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 04:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    Cameron may well not be prime minister very soon.

    And when the conservatives go, things will change.

    Apr 03rd, 2016 - 08:47 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • golfcronie

    @22
    You got that wrong, look on Google and see who is the British Prime minister, or learn English, and why call yourself Briton because clearly you are not British as you do not understand spoken english. Argie twat

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 12:07 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • claudio_laplata

    Only an idiot (British typically) will be crossed by mind that Argentina will try to take by force (with which weapons??) Again the islands (and remember that it was the crazy Argentine military positions in power by her friend united states ha). The sea of the islands is nuestro..es matter of time that the islands are also, as get a ticket for liverpool??

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 02:21 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    @24 Claudito, whatever, so long as you recognise that the islands belong to the islanders, and when visiting you bring your passport, drive on the left, and mind your manners.

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 03:18 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • golfcronie

    @24
    I will state quite catagorically that neither you or I and I hasten to add ALL on this website WILL NOT see the FALKLANDS in Argentinas hands. Disprove that if you can., Hell will freeze over before then.

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 09:35 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    23 golfcronie
    are you talking to me.

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 07:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • El Diego

    The British government themselves are planning to hand the islands back to us. A more helpful friend in Cameron we could not ask for. Thank you David.

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 07:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    Cameron cant be trusted,
    he want to remain in the EU and dissolve the government of any responsibility
    to anyone else,

    just look at the steel chaos.
    but as long as we are still an independent and sovereign country he wont dare.

    still,
    as long as you and some others on here like him,
    he can, no doubt create miracles,

    can he not ??

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 08:04 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • El Diego

    He is pragmatic and recognizes the UK cannot support the cost of the islands whilst dealing with Islamic terrorism and uncontrolled immigration...........thats what my contacts in government tell me.

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 09:08 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    @30 Your dog-catcher associates seem to be ill-informed.

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 09:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Briton

    UK cannot support the cost of the islands

    The cost is truly negligible
    You will probably find it costs the argentine government twice as much, for twice as less.

    .

    Apr 04th, 2016 - 11:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    The annual cost to the UK for the defence of the islands is less than one-half the amount that is to spent each year by Argentina on its blue-and-white signs that grace the frontier outposts, buses, coin-operated prophylactic dispensers, and donkey-carts that collect the night-soil from 90 percent of the urban population.

    Apr 05th, 2016 - 01:14 am - Link - Report abuse 0

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