The real trouble for Gawdon is that, like on many other things, his credability with the public is now totally blown by spin and nobody believes a word he says.
He pledges that the govenment will "listen and learn" but his Tx button is stuck and he plainly cannot Receive.......
When a military commander is denied the option of making a manoevre by air because of the unavailability of suitable helicopters and is forced into doing so on the ground (perhaps also with unsuitable vehicles i.e. snatch LR) against his own judgement and soldiers die, then, ipso facto, lives could be ( or already have been) lost bacause of a direct consequence of the lack of helos.
All he needs to do his heed the advice of his military advisers who've been saying so for months if not years.
Mark my words ... he'll regret his spin at the polls in less than 12 months' time....
MB