THE GENERALS ATTACK!

So who is surprised to read that Gordon Brown has contempt for the British Armed Forces?

"Five former chiefs of the defence staff spoke out furiously in the House of Lords as they pummelled Mr Brown and his Government for failing to back Britain's armed forces. Their joint assault heaped yet more pressure on the Prime Minister, at the end of a torrid week for his administration. The defence chiefs who led British forces into Iraq, Kosovo, and the first Gulf war joined other former senior officers to deliver repeated salvos against the Prime Minister, one describing Mr Brown as the "most unsympathetic chancellor" he had encountered."

Of course he is unsympathetic. Labour has no interest whatsoever in supporting the Armed Forces, though it has every interest in running them down. The very fact that the Minister for the Armed Forces is ALSO the Minister for bonnie Scotland says it all! It's tragic that the lives of those men and women who serve this country in the Armed Forces are put in risk in the way these senior military men detail - but nice Mr Broon could not care less.

Comments

[Allan@Oslo]

But over on EUReferendum, one can read:

"In addition, whatever else might be motivating the former defence chiefs, it should not escape attention that much of the projected "big ticket" spending is devoted to fulfilling Blair's undertaking to equip the Armed Forces as a fully-fledged "expeditionary force", ready to take a full part in the European Rapid Reaction Force. Even though no one talks about this, the ERRF is still there, and British commitments stand.

The fact that arch Europhile General Lord Guthrie is playing what appears to be a lead role in the current campaign for more spending may not, therefore, be a coincidence (and is it then a coincidence that the BBC is so interested?)."

So, what is the real motivation of the generals?

[David Vance]

Good point Allan.

[Peter T]

Labour is now trying to fight back by insisting that things are nowhere near as bad as suggested. But why do they think that the public will believe them more than the Generals? Your ATW poll indicates what trust people place on the utterances of politicians.

[Ernest Young]

Alan,

It isn't only the body politic that sees the future for personal gain aboard the EU gravy train - our Generals are just as conniving as they, and are just preparing themselves to follow the example of the likes of Kinnock et al on their way to a sinecure, - after all, just who is the EU going to fight? They have shown their reluctance to pick their own noses, let alone a fight...

[Pete Moore]

Whether the Generals are right wrong in what they say, they are a bunch of self-serving weasels for not having the moral courage to say this publicly when they were on the Chiefs of Staff.

But it's all clear on the pension front now that time has moved on, their packages are secure and they sit in the Lords.

[Ernest Young]

Pete,

Yep! timing is everything. Watch Commissioner Blair jump ship when his police pension is secured...

[Pete Moore]

Ernest Young -

Whether it's the Generals, Sir Ian Blair or Steve McClaren, clearly honour and the moral imperative to do the right thing go out the window when pay day beckons.

[Allan@Oslo]

The pensions are what the big-wigs and big-hats are after. Look at how Lord Falconer briefs against Gordon Brown when his pension comes under threat. Look at how the generals are silent until they are secure in their fat, public sector pensions before they appear to rock the boat. These ex-military couldn't care less.