The only firm feature cited for the unpublished plan is a £13.5 billion ceiling, while its intended outcomes remain unclear. Starting from a fixed sum risks shaping the force around an arbitrary limit before strategic requirements are defined. The proposed sequence is to identify what the country has to do, needs to do, and wants to do. Optional wants are cut first, then lower-priority needs, while essential obligations remain funded.
Notable Point · 2:25:17-2:26:24
Set defence requirements before the budget ceiling
Strategic obligations should define the plan before a spending ceiling, with optional wants and lower-priority needs adjusted only after essential tasks are funded.