Just so I can get my head around this timeline, what's the sequence of events?
The Mail has now reported it and it's in the public domain, but did any MoD announcement predate it? Anna Soubry has tweeted back to me this morning, saying that she wants to save it, but the DM/MoS didn't consult her and give her a chance to explain. I (rashly?) suggested that it was her dept which set the wheels rolling before that, and she might like to consider why her bean counters didn't consult her first.
She strikes me (generally) as being a pretty poor excuse for a minister, not in command of her brief and just marking time before quickly returning to being an obscure hack or lobbyist. If I'm wrong about the timeline though, I might owe her an apology.
I am opposed to trusts looking after certain items of national importance. I only learned this morning that Isaac Newton's tree is just up the road and whilst I don't mind the National Trust looking after that, sending young men to die and remembering them should remain the sober, sombre and sacred responsibility of the government of the day, not a board of blummin' trustees looking for things to do as they out do the great and the good on the board of the next trust along and weedle their invitations for Buck House garden parties.
And don't get me started on the Heritage/National Lottery!