Tuesday 19 October 2010 at 10.30pm on BBC Two Presented by Jeremy Paxman Prime Minister David Cameron has confirmed defence spending is to be cut by 8% in real terms over four years, as he unveiled the strategic defence review. Tonight, our Defence editor Mark Urban will assess the impact on individual services and will explain what it all means for Britain's future military strategic capability. Jeremy will be joined by a government minister and his opposite number, plus a senior US ambassador and a military figure, who will debate the implications of the defence review and ask if there is now a capability gap. And later in the programme we'll be debating whether we should admit to the fact that we're no longer a first rate military power. Ahead of tomorrow's Spending Review Michael Crick and Paul Mason will tell us what they're hearing on where we should expect the cuts to fall, and Michael will have the very latest on the news that a deal has now been done where in future the cost of the BBC World Service will have to come from the licence fee rather than the Foreign Office budget. Read more on Michael's blog: Plus, almost half a million people have taken to the streets of France in a sixth national day of action against President Nicolas Sarkozy's planned pension reforms, while across the Channel in London thousands of union members and other campaigners are set to join protests against government spending cuts on the eve of the publication of the Spending Review. We'll be joined by TUC Gen Secretary Brendan Barber and a senior French union leader to consider the difference between French and UK union strategy and contrast what is happening on the streets of London and across France today. Join Jeremy at 10.30pm on BBC Two. |