Two faces of Cameron

[Onceapilot]

David Cameron is having a great time throwing the UK's military into every hotspot where he sees a political advantage whilst, at the same time, cutting the resources of the military at home. Is he taking a risk?

OAP

[Lightning Mate]

Of course he is, but what's different about him compared to the rest.

When did we last have a politician with armed services background?

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

IDS, but they put him in charge of pensions. Oh, the irony...

[Onceapilot]

IMO, Cameron promises everything but does what he likes.

OAP

[dctyke]

I note that he turned up in Tripoli in a unmarked white airliner, do we have a new stealth plane.......... :rolleyes:

[Evanelpus]

David Cameron is having a great time throwing the UK's military into every hotspot where he sees a political advantage whilst, at the same time, cutting the resources of the military at home. Is he taking a risk?

I suppose you could say it was a cynical attempt to keep unemployment figures down. Instead of getting rid of troops, just post them somewhere else to fight in yet another cause they probably have no belief in.

[walter kennedy]

Why don't you study who your politicians are, who were their forefathers, etc and you may understand where their real loyalties lay. Perhaps you should have talked religion and politics in the pub - it's been easy street for you all mentally hasn't it?

[Secretive_Santa]

Wally,

Still unhappy with the one-way ticket?

SS

[Pontius Navigator]

Why don't you study who your politicians are, who were their forefathers, etc and you may understand where their real loyalties lay. Perhaps you should have talked religion and politics in the pub - it's been easy street for you all mentally hasn't it?

Been out the pub Walt? Maybe make more sense in the morning?

[Trim Stab]

When did we last have a politician with armed services background?

Maybe because the electorate don't agree that having experience at wasting lots of public money is a good qualification for a politician!

I happen to think that the current Defence Minister is one of the best we have ever had - and working in some very difficult times. He has no armed services background at all.

[Heathrow Harry]

these days politics is a full time activity - people come out of collage, do a few years in a political party/ad agency/financial institution and then enter politics and worm their way up

Once we ran out of WW2 officers & OR's- Ted heath , Jim Callaghan etc - there was no supply line

[Onceapilot]

I am not so sure that the Defence Minister has that much input other than to impose the will of "the Government" on the armed forces these days. If he objected he would be out on his ear. He gives the impression of being a smiling knife to me, like a re-incarnated Duncan Sandys or a Dr Beeching.

OAP

[A and C]

If UK PLC was a company it would have called in the receivers a few years back, it matters not who it resident at 10 Downing St if there is no money to pay for anything.

[Pontius Navigator]

Once we ran out of WW2 officers & OR's- Ted heath , Jim Callaghan etc - there was no supply line

Of course WW2 was a stop date but as for supply line that is not exactly true.

Ashdown, Mates, Mitchell, Mercer, Garden, West and those off the top of my head.

Even Lockwood put himself forward.

Now while we might have had quantity . . .

[cargosales]

IDS, but they put him in charge of pensions. Oh, the irony...

Irony indeed ...

I have the dubious privilege of having worked for the same company as IDS and relatively close to, but nor for, that 'gentleman', when he was employed in the private sector..

All I can say is that he exhibited then all the hallmarks of a career politician .. a natural aptitude for needlessly stabbing people in the back (my oppo for example), a coldness and personal detachment when dealing with others (me for example) and a general disregard for courtesy and good manners if they didn't suit him (IIRC, the Board were less than delighted when he suddenly announced he was standing down to pursue a 'career' as an MP)

Typical brown job!

CS

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

I said he had the background, but knew nothing about his character so I didn't comment. Interesting stuff from you.

[Pontius Navigator]

I should have mentioned that chap who became a police commissioner in some Midland county. Now he might run for parliament as he got such resounding support at the PCE.












:}

[SilsoeSid]

When did we last have a politician with armed services background?

Well, if Churchill is anything to go by, that isn't necessarily a good qualification to stipulate!

[andrewn]

Of course he is, but what's different about him compared to the rest.

Agreed, he's a classic career politician with little specialist knowledge on any topic. When it comes to the Armed Forces and any decisions made he relies totally on the briefings he is given by Whitehall mandarins and, to a lesser extent, the CDS and respective forces chiefs - you only had to listen to some of the twaddle he peddled around SDSR time to realise that.

In his defence you can't really expect a man in his position with such a wide remit of responsibility to grasp the finer details of the impacts that result from, for example, cutting individual aircraft types.

In most cases the decisions are financially led and he will be given a choice of cuts to make from which he, ultimately, must choose the least worst option - based on the briefing notes he's been handed.

Bit of a no-win situation - particularly when it turns out that "events" occur which were never considered at the time the decisions were made.

IMO I think he's trying, generally, to be pragmatic and realistic - unlike his direct predecessor who was both dogmatic and idealistic.

All my opinion of course.

[Lima Juliet]

It would seem that Millipede has a cunning plan...

BBC News - Parliament 'too middle class' says Miliband as he targets ex-military MPs (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21283664)