One thing I'll question though:
The resignation of the Defence Secretary, John Hutton, helps to explain why this has become such a rotten government. Mr Hutton had become browned off with serving in it. He is 54, a little old to relish the endless frustrations of long years in Opposition. So he tells us that he is leaving politics to spend more time with his family.All well and good, except that he is Defence Secretary. Doesn't he know there's a war on? A soldier serving in Afghanistan would have great difficulty in obtaining compassionate leave. Thousands of military wives and children would love it if Daddy could spend more time with his family. But these soldiers and their families know their duty. It is contemptible than the man in charge does not know his. John Hutton could have announced that he was standing down at the next election. In the meantime, he should have stayed at his post. Because he deserted it, we now have the fourth Defence Secretary in four years. That is no way to treat the armed forces. The veterans were right to boo Gordon Brown.
The only excuse to be made for Mr Hutton is that ministers in this government have never been encouraged to take themselves seriously. A Defence Secretary will enjoy all the prestige of that great office. For anyone with a feel for history – which John Hutton has – it must be a wonderful appointment. But the glamour soon wears off if you are never allowed to take a decision. The Admirals and Generals may be respectful, but the hapless minister will still sense their frustration.
Although one could still argue that it's a dereliction of duty, I don't think Hutton resigned for "family reasons". In fact, when Hutton made his initial statement he said absolutely nothing about his family, only noting that he wouldn't go into the details for his resignation. It was Number 10 that claimed he was leaving "to spend more time with his family".
Why do I raise this point? Because if you want really piss off the armed forces, you claim that someone left "to spend more time with their family", a novelty many individuals in the armed forces don't have.
Basically, it was Number 10 getting the last word in. After all, Hutton's hardly been Brown's greatest admirer.
1 comments:
Yes New Labour has had quite a track record on Defence Ministers. Remember John Reid and Afghanistan? - 'we could be out in 6 months without a shot being fired' is what I think he said or something damn close.
As an ex Labour Minister of Defence he now of course sits as chair of a football club where pro-IRA chants and singing on the terraces are commonplace.
Then before him, there was Hoon (whom other have labelled 'Hoon the Goon) wasn't he was found on a jolly 'at the races' on the day that the earliest British troop casualities were dying in Iraq - and he couldn't see what was innappropriate aout that?
Yes, quite a track record.
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