POLL: Should cuts be made to Royal Marines amid the ongoing Syrian crisis?

The prestigious 42 Commando outfit is to be withdrawn from front-line duties due to a funding shortage.

Theresa May was attacked for the move by former Royal Marine Lord Ashdown, who accused her of sending a message of weakness amid the ongoing Syrian crisis.

The unit, which is based in Plymouth, will lose 200 of its members and will change from a battle unit – which has served in Afghanistan and Iraq – to a maritime force.

Under its new remit, the unit will be protecting ships and hunting down modern-day pirates, among other things.

The unit is one of three that is deployed on battle operations, the other two being 40 Commando and 45 Commando.

The outfit's axing comes during a funding crisis for the Royal Navy, with its two new aircraft carriers – named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales – coming in well over budget.

The Ministry of Defence was quick to insist that the decision would not lead to any redundancies.

Among those to criticise the move was former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown, who called the decision 'a folly which plays fast and loose with the nation's defences'.

He said: "In an unpredictable age, we need forces that are fast, flexible and mobile. That's what the Royal Marines do at a world-class level."

The deal comes amid fears the Marines faced cuts of as many as 2,000 roles due to holes in defence spending.

A recent report warned the Ministry of Defence has to find £5.6billion in savings over the next 10 years to make up shortfalls.

Major General Julian Thompson, who commanded 3 Commando Brigade in the Falklands, warned last week that Britain would no longer 'be able to stage another Falklands-style operation' should the Marines face heavy cuts.

There are around 7,000 Royal Marines – a number that has remained around the same since the 1980s as sailor numbers have dwindled.

Sir Michael said: "We have got 7,000 Royal Marines.

"The actual balance, the number of sailors and the number of marines, that's a matter for the First Sea Lord to keep under review."

He added: "I have not agreed any cut in the size of the Royal Marines. What we are looking at is the way in which our armed forces work, the different tasks that they have and we are constantly looking to see that they are fit for purpose in what we do.

"So if something is no longer needed, if it's redundant, we need to make sure that we can put the savings back into new equipment.

"That applies to buildings, it also applies to the way we work and the efficiencies we need."

The First Sea Lord, Admiral Sir Philip Jones, said: "We must adapt to meet the challenges of a dangerous and uncertain world. The Government is investing in a new generation of ships, submarines and aircraft.

"As we introduce these capabilities into Service, we must ensure we have the right mix of skills across each of the Navy's Fighting Arms to optimise how we use them, and the Commandant General and I have sought to find the right balance between sailors and marines in responding to this challenge.

"The Royal Marines remain bound in to every part of the Royal Navy's future, from conducting sophisticated operations from the sea, at a variety of scales and against a range of threats, using our new aircraft carriers as a base, to leading the Service's development of information warfare.

"They will continue to be as vital to the Defence of the Realm in the years ahead as they have been for the past 350."