Originally Posted by
Momoe
Chinny crewman,
The vast majority of the service personnel involved in the nuclear deterrent perform the endless drills despite hoping that it never happens, they remain focussed and committed knowing this.
Are you saying that a politician making a statement that he wouldn't use the deterrent under any circumstances because of his stance on nuclear weapons isn't demoralizing to the service personnel? (Assuming that said politician is in a position to exercise that option).
I don't think it's any more demoralising than a number of decisions taken by politicians over the last 15 years on which this and previous CDS have chosen to remain silent. I'm actually pretty sure that if you ask most members of the military today what they find demoralizing they would say erosion of pay and allowances, reduced capability and lack of strategic direction. A hypothetical situation 5 years away, I doubt it. However if Gen Houghton thought that Comrade Corbyn's position on the deterrent was having an adverse effect on forces morale maybe he should have spoken to him about it and not gone on a flagship political program to 'worry'.