AS our politicians rattle their collective sabres over Syria in the real world our Armed Forces are being diminished to a point where they fail to be able to function.

This month the MOD is looking to reduce the Royal Marines by 200 posts – an organisation that has performed great deeds in many tours of Afghanistan as have many of our other units.

The Marines are being sacrificed to cover for the stupid decisions made by the senior officers in the Navy in their purchase of the two aircraft carriers that too expensive and essentially obsolete in a changing world.

To cover up for these expensive and demanding vessels, the Army is being restricted in its training and equipment. It also has its own inefficient and expensive procurement issues to resolve.

Less and less trained manpower means less capable defence for the UK.

In short we have a smaller and less able force crippled by poor procurement and direction from the top but again, as always, the people who suffer for this are the rank and file servicemen and women not the idiots that made the mistakes in the first place.

In life some things never change, but they should and the fools responsible should be highlighted and castigated for their folly.

Chris Gallacher, Chairman Ukip Redcar