DURING the recent council debate on the threatened closure of Royal Air Force Lyneham, the Labour councillors who spoke stated that it was a military decision to close the base and therefore was in the best interest of the country.

I had to point out to them that the Air Marshals, Generals and Admirals could only advise and request but the final decision was a political one to save money.

The lack of helicopters, flak jackets and numerous other items in Afghanistan, along with the slowdown of the new aircraft carrier build, reduction in Trident and Eurofighter are all political decisions, the military do not want to see these things to happen but the politicians need to save money to try to balance their books.

I, along with millions of other people, have lost confidence in this government and its followers to do anything correctly. Take a look at the report in the Times newspaper under the heading “No 10 asked Army to delay Afghan attack until after Gordon Brown's visit”, in other words stop the war while GB is in Afghanistan. What a load of rubbish!!

If anything illustrates my point then surely the resignation of Major-General Andrew Mackay who is reported as saying "he described his sinking feeling on touring Whitehall that there was no will to win". This government will never give our Forces the money or equipment they need to do the job properly, they will continue to cut and cut.

The sooner we have a General Election and send these people into obscurity the better.

(Coun) Peter Mallinson Walcot Conservative The Bramptons Swindon