The Royal Navy has been accused of 'frittering away' taxpayers' money after it was revealed the Senior Service is planning to spend £200,000 on new uniforms for female sailors due to 'inappropriately placed' buttons.
Button Placement Controversy
The 'old style' No1 jacket typically worn on ceremonial occasions is set to be replaced as the buttons on the current uniform are placed in the same position as nipples. A Royal Navy document states 'the position of the top two "decorative" buttons on the older design of the female officer's No1 jacket are deemed inappropriately placed', adding that 'the jackets have since been replaced with a different design'. The move comes after female officers had raised issues regarding the 'fit' of their current jackets.
Mixed Reactions
The Royal Navy has defended the decision as a 'positive step for women' - however some servicewomen have criticised the decision, claiming the Armed Forces have 'more urgent matters to focus on'. More than 950 female officers will be issued the new jacket, which will have all eight buttons placed lower down on the chest. Princess Anne famously wears the No1 ceremonial uniform in her role as a Royal Navy admiral.
Despite the uniform being 'a bit of a joke within the service', some female officers are furious with the decision as many have spent their own wages on the existing jacket. A Royal Navy source told The Times: 'It's clearly absurd for the Royal Navy to be frittering away money on such a minor change to this uniform.'
'The button placement on the jacket has always been a bit of a joke within the service, but at a time when the navy has been tasked with gearing up to a warfighting readiness, surely there are more urgent matters for the navy to focus on and better uses for this money. Surely the obvious answer would have been to simply cut off the offensive nipple buttons on the existing uniforms?'
Official Response
A Royal Navy spokesperson told the Daily Mail: 'The navy is both a modern organisation which continuously adapts and is also hugely proud of our history. This change, which will be brought in over several years, addresses issues raised by serving personnel regarding the fit of female officer's jackets, and is a positive step for women in the navy while balancing operational and financial factors. The cost of the new jacket will be offset by a reduction in the number of uniforms issued.'
Broader Context
Last month Sir Keir Starmer faced anger over 'extraordinary' claims that UK defence chiefs had been asked to find billions of pounds in cuts amid the Iran crisis and the threat from Russia. The heads of the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF - along with other top brass - were reported to be meeting in April to discuss funding pressures. They were asked by Ministry of Defence officials to find £3.5billion of 'efficiencies' and other savings this year, according to Sky News.
Sources said the in-year squeeze is because the current defence budget is insufficient to deliver existing plans. It previously emerged that the MoD is facing a £28billion shortfall between now and 2030, with the Prime Minister said to have been given the dire financial assessment before Christmas. James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, said it was 'extraordinary' that military chiefs are being asked to find cuts at a time of 'war on two fronts' in the Middle East and Ukraine. The row came as Sir Keir faced charges of leaving Britain 'unsafe' with a former Nato chief and Labour minister condemning the PM's 'corrosive complacency'.
