Clockwork said;
How do you know he didn't make waves when he was in the job? It is only now he is a civilian that he can speak publicly.
In a way, that makes it worse. Sure, you can't leave with a tantrum about everything you don't like, you pick your battles, but this was a battle worth fighting for don't you think? The way he didn't say this after he left, when he mentioned other things, only accentuates the cynic in me. If he did raise merry hell privately, and he got ignored, why didn't he realise that he didn't have the confidence of his employer and walk? The arguement that he has used about resignation only being effective for 24 hours is neither here nor there, and I think, a touch dissingenious. One resigns because one thinks one's position is impossible, not because one wants to make a statement for more than 24 hours.
The issue of integrity aside, it still doesn't excuse the publishing of a memoir for personal gain. I served under him in UNPROFOR and KFOR.. you can bet your bottom dollar that there'll be talk of him showing the Russkis what for at Pristina in there. Just as Turney had a go at her chain of command, so is he. If he wanted to help injured servicemen, he should have got his arse down to Ashtead the other week.
He devalues and sullies the position he held, he makes it harder for those who follow him (DLB isn't known as dirty lying bastard at Hereford for nothing.. allegadly), he dilutes the effectiveness of those who follow because we know that however hard we'll work like mad for £15k+ for them at the top, they'll always have one one eye on making that in a month. All that talk of integrity and morality doesn't mean a bean. All that talk of the nation and the military covenant doesn't mean jack if all along, you're snorting from the same trough as Turney, but doing it in hardback and not tomorrow's fish and chip paper.
At least Blair has decided to apply the safety catch and keep the publisher pointing down the range for a bit.