DEFENCE CUTS
Resignation Threats (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) LONDON, Dec. 28. The Prime Minister (Mr Wilson) began a short holiday today amid reports of resignation threats by a Minister and two service chiefs over plans to slash defence expenditure. Before leaving for the Scillv Isles Mr Wilson presided over a late-night Cabinet meeting on Government spending cuts, which are expected to be announced in Parliament next month as part of Britain’s attempts to stabilise her economy.
Newspaper reports said the Ministers discussed the possibility of scrapping a £3OO- - deal to buy 50 Fill swing-wing strike-reconnais-sance planes from the United States for the Royal Air Force.
The “Daily Telegraph” said the Defence Minister (Mr Denis Healey), Sir Charles Elsworthy, the Chief of Defence Staff, and Sir John Grandy, the Chief of Air Staff, were threatening to resign if the order was cancelled.
The “Daily Telegraph’s” air correspondent said the two service chiefs warned the Government that cancellation of the Fill order would leave Britain seriously undefended by 1975.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19671229.2.93
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31564, 29 December 1967, Page 7
Word Count
165DEFENCE CUTS Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31564, 29 December 1967, Page 7
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.