Ursula Brennan is not just some 't%rt'. She is PUS - the top civil servant within the MOD and has considerable fiscal control - over just about all we do short of combat operations. Inter alia, she has called fro the reduction of SP numbers in Cyprus (going down the route of the FI), considerable influence on pay and allowances, reductions in personnel (SP and CS)...I could go on, but frankly, I've already made my decision to leave.
James Arbuthnot (former defence minister under John Major) is a clever cove. He was, in my opinion, right to upbraid UB over the perjorative reference to the Services as public sector workers (which covers the gamut of activities from litter pickers working part-time for your Parish Council to staff of the soon-to-be closed Forensic Science Service). Our TACOS, ethos and history does set us apart from 'other' public sector workers, and we should guard against the erosion of our status, which would, in time, allow sucessive adminsitrations to 'harmonise' pensions and benefits, but without granting us an advocacy body.