Britain’s top defence chiefs were summoned to the Ministry of Defence for a ‘dressing down’ over repeated leaks about proposed military cuts, it emerged today.
Stephen Lovegrove, the top civil servant at the MOD, has issued warnings twice in recent weeks as leaks fuel a Tory rebellion over defence spending.
Frustration boiled over in recent weeks prompting Britain’s most senior officers to be summoned by Sir Michael Fallon, at the time the Defence Secretary, to a ‘non-negotiable’ meeting.
It was claimed the meeting was a ‘chest poking’ but stopped short of a ‘b*********’ of the top brass.
General Sir Nick Carter (left), Chief of the General Staff, and General Sir Chris Deverell (right), who is commander of the Joint Forces Command, were among the officers summoned
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones (left) and Air Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier (right), Royal Air Force, were also at the official ‘dressing down’ in Whitehall
The meeting was called after frustration boiled in Government at leaks. Theresa May (centre) is pictured with the chiefs (from left) Chief of the Air Staff-Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Chief of the General Staff-General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter, Chief of the Defence Staff-Sir Stuart Peach, Prime Minister-Theresa May, Permanent Secretary-Stephen Lovegrove, First Sea Lord representative, Commander of Joint Forces Command-General Sir Chris Deverell
The meeting did not go ahead as originally planned as Sir Michael resigned from the Cabinet amid sexual harassment claims.
But five sources have told Sky News Mr Lovegrove took the meeting and issued the rebuke to the generals.
Particular alarm has been raised over claims the Royal Marines might be reduced by 1,000 personnel; a possibility that the UK’s two amphibious ships might be scrapped early; and the threat of selling 28 Wildcat helicopters.
Leaks have been seen in Government as the different branches of the military fighting each other to protect their own budgets.
The four officers – General Sir Nick Carter, the head of the Army; General Sir Chris Deverell, who is commander of the Joint Forces Command; Air Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, the Chief of the Air Staff; and Admiral Sir Philip Jones, the First Sea Lord – are not considered to be personally the source of leaks.
But a defence insider told the broadcaster: ‘There was too much stuff going around that could only have come from this small group of people.
‘No one is accusing the chiefs themselves of leaking but there are suggestions that some of the detail has found its way to the media via proxies.’
The source said there was alarm at the ‘levels of detail and private conversations that shouldn’t have been made public’.
National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill is in the middle of a review that some Tories had hoped would allow more money to sent to the MOD.
But it was claimed this week he will instead recommend increasing spending on new threats on the cyber battlefront.
Frustration boiled over in recent weeks prompting Britain’s most senior officers to be summoned by Sir Michael Fallon, at the time the Defence Secretary, to a ‘non-negotiable’ meeting.
The new defence secretary Gavin Williamson warned the Treasury over cuts this week as he insisted Nato’s 2 per cent spending target was a ‘base not a ceiling’.
As he fights to quell a mounting Tory rebellion over Armed Forces cuts, Mr Williamson said he looked forward to talks with the Chancellor.
In his first ever appearance at the Commons Despatch Box, Mr Williamson sought to reassure uneasy MPs he was taking a fresh look at proposals for cuts.
At Defence Questions in the Commons, Mr Williamson was bombarded with questions about cuts to his budget.
He insisted ‘I’m taking the opportunity to look at all the work that has been done and making my own judgement on this’.
And in a clear shot over the Treasury’s bow, Mr Williamson said: ‘I’ve always seen 2 per cent as base, not a ceiling.’
The Ministry of Defence declined to comment on reports the senior officers were summoned to a meeting about leaks.
The new defence secretary Gavin Williamson warned the Treasury over cuts this week as he insisted Nato’s 2 per cent spending target was a ‘base not a ceiling’