There's only one problem with the new long service medal announcement and that's the election.
Mr Fallon can announce what he wants but unless the incoming government agrees, the medal - like the budget - will just be so much meaningless chatter.
There then comes the thorny issue of historical eligibility. Is it to be awarded to those no longer in service but who had met the criterion for length of service of the new medal when they were active? Alternatively, is the counting to begin only at the time of the medal's initiation.
At the moment, it's possible to mix qualification times for some medals but not 'double dip'. Certain classes of reserve have been - unreasonably in my view - ineligible for things like the jubilee medals or any long service award. In my view all classes of reserve and regular need to have similar eligibility for awards. I accept, as has happened in other cases, that warlike operations are deemed to count double. Regulars do 15 years, cadet forces uniformed staff 12 years and volunteers ten - bag of nails!!
Then we come to the design of the medal and its ribbon - we need a new thread to discuss every possible permutation. The current Mrs O-D recalls the days when the correspondence on whether WRAF warrant officers should wear black or brown leather gloves filled several files worth. It didn't matter really 'cause they did away with the WRAF shortly afterwards.
Old Duffer