Front Line First

<p>Front Line First: The Defence Cost Study was a UK programme of defence cuts announced on 14 July 1994 by then <a href="/facts/Secretary_of_State_for_Defence/uRI9PPnK">Defence Secretary</a> <a href="/facts/Malcolm_Rifkind/2TFEnbrt">Malcolm Rifkind</a>. Front Line First was announced four years after <a href="/facts/Options_for_Change/tENDIYh1">Options for Change</a>, which was a military draw-down as a result of the end of the <a href="/facts/Cold_War/spJdJQ3q">Cold War</a>, often described as the "<a href="/facts/Peace_dividend/KW3Kh04P">peace dividend</a>". Critics such as the <a href="/facts/Labour_Party_(UK)/jr0wYRdF">Labour</a> defence spokesman <a href="/facts/Donald_Anderson%2c_Baron_Anderson_of_Swansea/sT5b5swB">Donald Anderson</a> argued that the cuts were driven by the Treasury, however Rifkind argued that the front line of the armed forces was not affected and it was support staff and assets which were being cut; Rifkind stated that one of the major conclusion of the study was that the "Ministry of Defence and other headquarters at all levels are too large, too top heavy and too bureaucratic."
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Front Line First open-in-new

Front Line First