Was the leak of Liam Fox's letter a mere contrivance? Strange that the public receives muddied waters on expenditure cuts with benefits and defence the two zones of conflict. Did the papers report rearguard actions from civil service Taliban setting off improvided explosive leaks (IELs) to save their budgets, and not coincidentally, their positions.
Yet, when David Cameron spins that he is now in the driving seat on defence, we sit up and await his decisiveness. Renewal of Trident, perhaps? Two new aircraft carriers confirmed? No, the "wide ranging" interview of strong decisions fades away very rapidly:
disclosed that more Chinook helicopters would be made available for British troops in Afghanistan.
he pledged that Britain’s Armed Forces would be given “everything that they need” to fight the Taliban.
This is what Brown used to say. Are we facing a convergence in rhetoric? One government starved the armed forces out of neglect,the other by necessity. All both can fall back on is tired mantras about troop protection.
The real issues on defence, strategic thought and withdrawal from Afghanistan remain unresolved.