Sir, – The Prime Minster isn’t telling the truth on defence spending. Gordon Brown boasted at the Iraq inquiry that he had provided all the equipment that our armed forces needed in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Straight after his six-hour testimony his case started to fall apart as no fewer than three former army chiefs – Lord Guthrie, Lord Boyce and Sir Richard Dannatt – attacked the Prime Minister for not telling the whole story at the inquiry.

The views of these army chiefs are damning and tell the truth about the complete contempt that Gordon Brown holds for our great armed forces.

This adds to what Sir Kevin Tebbit, who was MoD permanent secretary from 1998 to 2005, said when he spoke of a “crisis period” when Mr Brown – who was then Chancellor – slashed spending by £1bn six months after the invasion in March 2003.

He told the Chilcot Inquiry that military chiefs were forced to cut projects for helicopters, warships, tanks and Nimrod spy planes. Brown’s visit to see the troops the day after the being at the inquiry was a cynical attempt to deflect attention from the row with the former defence chiefs.

The fact is this Prime Minister has shown complete indifference to our armed forces. He has made cuts to the helicopter budget, he has fought two wars on peace-time budgets. He doesn’t care about our armed forces whatsoever and he has failed in the most fundamental duties of government.

Coun PHILLIP BROUGHTON Conservative, Stockton Borough Council