Tanks, but no tanks.

British Leyland tank, soon to be replaced by Volvo

If Sunday newspaper sources are to be believed, Britain is to stop manufacturing it's own tanks.

Now, surprisingly (to me), the announcement has not come from the bowels of Whitehall but from the manufacturer themselves, BAe Systems. They have announced the closure of the works in Newcastle with the loss of 500 jobs, as they see no prospects of future orders.

It strikes me that the great British public would not stand for this. The readers of the Daily Mail would foam at the mouth at the very thought of the British Army buying tanks from Sweden armed with guns from Germany and to be honest, I wouldn't blame them.

Being the cynic that I am I have a hunch that BAe Systems are hoping that 'outraged from Hampshire' and his cronies whip up the media storm that would end up, no doubt, with the government stepping in to ensure that Britain builds it's own tanks.

A sly move indeed if true.