Like several observers, all of them better informed than me, I am not surprised at Liam Fox's decision to, in effect, sack Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Defence Staff, along with his civilian counterpart, Sir 'Bill' Jeffrey, the 'Permanent Toady' at the Defence Department. Neither of them were fit for purpose and if you ask me how I know I shall tell you that the reason is plain - they are still there! If either man had an millimetre of steel in his backbone they would have foregone their expected honours and resigned long ago during the charade that was Labour's defence policy.
However, whilst it was fair enough for Fox to 'wing them' both in advance I cannot understand why he would keep this pair of lame ducks until October and, in particular, why he would leave them in charge of the Defence review! The only Machiavellian reason I can think of is that Fox,who has been shadowing defence matters for years and is, one would hope, well informed, has decided to reduce the RAF to a branch of the army and thinks that such a policy will be swallowed more easily by the Biggles-types if the fatal dose is administered by an airman.
"If either man had an millimetre of steel in his backbone they would have foregone their expected honours and resigned long ago..."
There's no-one with any honour any more, sadly. Not in politics, or in the army top brass. Though at their levels, 'politician' probably describes them just as well.
Posted by: JuliaM | Tuesday, 15 June 2010 at 13:17
"their levels" - than which one can sink no lower!
Posted by: David Duff | Tuesday, 15 June 2010 at 16:29