New Sec of State for Defence?

[navibrator]

Andrew Marr mentioned this morning Jack Straw was being groomed for the job. How many can we have in one year? And with an election looming, time for another one or two next year!

[vecvechookattack]

Sir Richard Dannet will be the next S of S

[Gainesy]

Nah, Soamesy.

[Pure Pursuit]

At which point the RAF an RN are well and truly f**ked.

I did have a lot of respect for Dannatt however, his upcoming appt with the Tories is nothing more than a back door into the House of Lords.

[navibrator]

I have no respect for this man. Has he no idea what it might be like for the CDS with him in the back pocket of the Tories particularly should they be in government? He obviously has no concept of command chains and authority.

[VinRouge]

Surely Dr Liam Fox as shadow defsec would be up for the post? Wouldnt be surprised if Adam Holloway got picked up for one of the junior MOD ministerial jobs.

[nigegilb]

You could at least spell his name right. It is Dannatt, we might take you more seriously then.

[Jabba_TG12]

Bunter Soames?

Dear God no, not again. Anything but that. I'd rather have Des Browne back than Soames...

Surely the line about Jack Straw must be a wind up. The son of a conchie becoming Defence secretary, while theres a war on in Afghanistan?

Theres insults... and then theres taking the p*ss....

[advocatusDIABOLI]

Apparently, Opra Winfrey is available next year......

Advo

(PS: Jeremy Kyle is also a hard hitting straight talking chap, maybe he could help) :ugh:

[Dengue_Dude]

+ 1 for Oprah. (Anyone would think we're in a democracy ) :ok:

If it all goes to rat**** (again), at least she's used to hearing bad news and has a very sympathetic mien (i.e. rather than just plain 'pathetic').

What a cracking idea.

[seafuryfan]

Nothing like a bit of continuity.

Anyone remember that photo from the early nineties of Malcolm Rifkind trying to load a mortar into a tube backwards? Summed things up nicely.

[Jabba_TG12]

"Has he no idea what it might be like for the CDS with him in the back pocket of the Tories particularly should they be in government? He obviously has no concept of command chains and authority."

Yeah, right..... and Sir Jock Stirrup is nobody's stooge, right?

I mean, there's no way he's in Browns back pocket, eh??? :hmm: :mad:

How the heck can you reach CGS without having some concept of the Chain Of Command and Authority? On the surface, this appears to be a strange statement.

Are you saying that to "have an understanding", you just end up being another star ranked yes man, who nods everything through without a murmur? "Remember who is the boss?" What if the boss's judgement is to put it mildly, somewhat suspect and that lives may be at risk because of that suspect judgement? Dont you owe your subordinates anything?

Yeah.... The path to the Haddon-Cave darkside that way lies....

Dont let your obvious prejudice/hatred for the tories cloud your better judgement about what is neccessary for the military, now and for the future.. Neither of the governing parties have exactly covered themselves in glory over the last 25 years. But things were never this f:mad:d up under Thatch or Major. What has happened over the last ten years in particular has been not much short of a disaster.:(

[The Real Slim Shady]

There are 2 underlying issues facing the Armed Forces, regardless of the colour of the uniform, which have to be addressed: that means taking action not just talking about it or commissioning papers.


Overstretched
Under resourced


The resolution of the second item whilst it may not completely remedy the first would go a long way towards it.

Changing the Def Sec, CDS, CAS,CGS,First Sea Lord is just a way of papering over cracks.

[advocatusDIABOLI]

Real Slim,

Whilst I fully concur with your assessment, under the title 'Fundamentals' should you not include the gravity of our finacial predicament? In the end, it has to come down to priorities, and in the minds of most politicos, that means 'votes' and consequently, Their job.

For what it's worth (Although not directly related), I think the whole rot was started, by our master's flawed assumptions years ago; We were out of the Cold War, and didn't have the foresight to see any other potential engagement elsewhere. The sad Irony, is that we are about to repeat the process, ie: Afganistan is the only game in town, and we will never have to do anything else un-expected! Well, I'm sorry, but if history teaches us anything (Which clearly it doesn't), we should be ready for anything.

I know it costs, I know it's difficult sometimes to justify, but the day you are most likely to stuff the family car, is the day your insurance ran out!! (If there is a God, he surely has a sense of humour and timing)

Weakness, however expressed, is Always a catalyst for expoitation and attack. It's a human, not cultural, trait. We continually ignore this truism at our cost.

We are, not even 'about to', but actually doing it actively again. Sow the seads, reap the whirlwind etc etc etc

So, in sum: It doesn't matter which 'monkey' is at the 'top', the game is set, and he/she has little or no influence over it. So I still vote for Oprah, She's personable, tallented and has held the attention of millions for many years, on many subjects. Let's face it, she can't possibly be as pointless as the last 4 or 5 incumbents.

Advo

[advocatusDIABOLI]

PS: "Jack Straw is being 'groomed' for the job"

Please tell me, how do you 'Groom' for incompetence, intransigence, self- interest and petty party political points scoring?

Advo

[racedo]

There are 2 underlying issues facing the Armed Forces, regardless of the colour of the uniform, which have to be addressed: that means taking action not just talking about it or commissioning papers.

Overstretched
Under resourced

Overstretched ...............Yup I agree with

Under resourced..............Nope definitely not, the issue here relates to the best use of resources and a willingness to spend them appropriately.
There is no brownie points attached to ensuring cash is spent on the guys on the ground when you can get PR for the latest new weapon undeliverable for 5 years, 50% over budget and unusable.

[Thelma Viaduct]

Just employ a monkey to make the decisions, at least they'd get half of them right and their expenses are fairly cheap from what I've heard. Job Jobbed.

[zetec2]

As Lorraine Kelly is now the RAF "Agony Aunt" couldn't she do the job equally as well ?, just a thought. PH.

[chevvron]

James Wale (LBC 97.3 weekdays 4 - 7) would be better than Jeremy Kyle. Anytime anyone tells him about servicemen being 'shafted' in any way, he gets his staff to try to get the offending minister on the phone, and sometimes actually succeeds!

[Rather be Gardening]

What about the lovely Mandy? Last I heard he had taken up a new hobby of collecting as many titles as he could lay his hands on.

Gordon Brown made him First Secretary of State. Then the Department for Business was extended to take in universities, skills and space when Mandy took charge. He's also being lined up as "Minister for Information" in charge of wooing voters. S of S for Defence would bring all sorts of benefits.........

http://images.mirror.co.uk/upl/m4/sep2009/1/8/peter-mandelson-pic-james-vellacott-122907648.jpg

[Thelma Viaduct]

I doubt you can do the job from jail, maybe he could job share with tony???

[mymatetcm]

Just give the job to Paddy Ashdown, he knows a little bit about the military!!!

[Finnpog]

Or when the Tories get in, have Andrew Robothan (Con. Blaby) rather than Fox.

He has some awareness of QR and service.

[Thelma Viaduct]

Get a coin and someone capable of flicking it.

[the funky munky]

Why? They are all self serving conniving sycophants who wish to line their own pockets rather than defending the realm.

Wouldn't it be better to have the Defence Lords in charge? Responsible to the Crown and not the current fly by night government de jour, Tory/Labour they are just the same.

[minigundiplomat]

Howabout Baroness Thatcher?

She seemed to understand the military! Ican just imagine the RN waving flags at each other.... Maggies Back.

[Thelma Viaduct]

Isn't she dead yet?

[minigundiplomat]

I think theres more life in the old girl than there is in the present government. I know which one Id put money on being around after May!

[racedo]

She seemed to understand the military

Was this before or after the Falklands war as she was doing her level best to flog all the assets before the Argies got agressive.

[hello1]

Fox was quoted in one of the weekend papers - Torygraph I think - as saying that he expected to be appointed SofS following a Conservative victory. Generally you don't say that sort of thing before an election unless friend Dave has already given you the nod.

Separately, and most unfortunately, the suggestion that 'Jack Straw is being groomed' has left me with the image of some fat sweaty paedo pretending to be a 14-year old girl and inviting our Jack out to the cinema on Saturday.:eek:

[minigundiplomat]

Was this before or after the Falklands war as she was doing her level best to flog all the assets before the Argies got agressive.


Only the RN, and she's not the first to have that thought, and clearly not the last.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Well Ainsworth will have made himself noticed by Brown the Humourless now;


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/6646179/Bob-Ainsworth-criticises-Barack-Obama-over-Afghanistan.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/6646179/Bob-Ainsworth-criticises-Barack-Obama-over-Afghanistan.html)


Bob Ainsworth criticises Barack Obama over Afghanistan

Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, has blamed Barack Obama and the United States for the decline in British public support for the war in Afghanistan.



Although I think Ainsworth is just another square peg in the wrong hole, I think he makes a valid point.