Forces starved of cash before Iraq war, Hoon tells inquiry

THE British armed forces were starved of cash in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, the official inquiry into the conflict was told yesterday.

Former defence secretary Geoff Hoon said the forces’ budget was underfunded for years prior to the war and had to rely on efficiency savings.

As a result, he said, the Ministry of Defence had to buy much of the equipment needed for the conflict at the last minute through the system of “urgent operational requirements” (UORs).