New Defence Secretary
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BBC News now reporting the Cabinet Reshuffle. Dr John Reid (former Northern Ireland & Health Secretary) to become SofS Defence
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politi...ge/4523783.stm
Hoon to become head of Commons.
Jordan
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politi...ge/4523783.stm
Hoon to become head of Commons.
Jordan
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I remember as a youngster, Buff Hoon was trawling the streets for votes for local government.
I think that as a politician, he is completely unsuited to the defence subject.
As for a new defence secretary, what will we get?
While I personally think SDR was positive, (especially after Options, Bett, Leonard) I think that no matter who is in power, they will still try to shave the defence budget to pay for issues that Joe Public think are important to them.
Defence of the realm has changed formidably since the end of the Cold War but Joe will never understand that.
The fact is, in this day and age, we don't know who we will be fighting, we don't know where we will go to fight and we don't know when.
How can we prepare for the unknown with a reduced budget???????????
I think that as a politician, he is completely unsuited to the defence subject.
As for a new defence secretary, what will we get?
While I personally think SDR was positive, (especially after Options, Bett, Leonard) I think that no matter who is in power, they will still try to shave the defence budget to pay for issues that Joe Public think are important to them.
Defence of the realm has changed formidably since the end of the Cold War but Joe will never understand that.
The fact is, in this day and age, we don't know who we will be fighting, we don't know where we will go to fight and we don't know when.
How can we prepare for the unknown with a reduced budget???????????
Yep, BBC say it's Reid, with Buff as Leader of the Commons. Given that TCH has no concept of leadership, this could be a poor appointment by Blair. The Leader of the House is not meant to be supine...
John Pienaar, (the BBC correspondent) has observed that Reid has always 'coveted' the Defence job. So, Defence has a man who (a) wants the job and (b) has a spine. I am led to believe that his default setting is *not* 'that's a very generous amount you're offering my department in this spending round, Gordon'.
Could be interesting...
John Pienaar, (the BBC correspondent) has observed that Reid has always 'coveted' the Defence job. So, Defence has a man who (a) wants the job and (b) has a spine. I am led to believe that his default setting is *not* 'that's a very generous amount you're offering my department in this spending round, Gordon'.
Could be interesting...
Thread Starter
The supposed reason that Reid did not get the job the last time was that Bliar did not want someone who would stand in his way when he needed to find money from someone's budget. Could be fun in the near future.
Pity - rather hoped they'd add it to Fiery John's portfolio.
Would love to see the press photos of Ol' Lardy climbing about HM kit.
Might have given at least two Jags a reprieve?
Would love to see the press photos of Ol' Lardy climbing about HM kit.
Might have given at least two Jags a reprieve?
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Listen to yourself's wait a couple of months and then see what u think of 'Dr John'. He is a party yes man, listen to any interview and he ALWAYS gives tony's line. The first time he stands up to anyone in his new job I will eat my hat, (and then go to supply and buy a new one) 
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I met John Reid when he was Shadow Defence Sec (1993ish) and he came over as a decent enough bloke. There was only him and me present, so it wasn't as though he needed to impress a crowd. He's pretty affable and has a very good brain.
I thought his reaction to Jeremy Paxman's 'attack dog' comment, during a Newsnight interview a few weeks ago, was completely OTT. He was trying to play the Glaswegian working class card and made himself look daft.
And he is a proper Dr (ie he has a doctorate), as opposed to most medical Drs (who don't).
We'll see...
I thought his reaction to Jeremy Paxman's 'attack dog' comment, during a Newsnight interview a few weeks ago, was completely OTT. He was trying to play the Glaswegian working class card and made himself look daft.
And he is a proper Dr (ie he has a doctorate), as opposed to most medical Drs (who don't).
We'll see...
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Just think,
We'll now have the man who was responsible for the NHS and it's current state of peak efficiency. Another self serving Blair clone and one we can do without in these pressing times. Personal ambition is written on his every pronouncement that we've never had it so good.
As for the Glasgow hard man act, well most Jocks can see through him - why can't you English ?
We'll now have the man who was responsible for the NHS and it's current state of peak efficiency. Another self serving Blair clone and one we can do without in these pressing times. Personal ambition is written on his every pronouncement that we've never had it so good.
As for the Glasgow hard man act, well most Jocks can see through him - why can't you English ?
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Private Eye refer to him as John "Oh f*ck, not Health" Reid. He at least had the wisdom to recognise that poisoned chalice for what it was!
He may do a reasonable job - that means actually giving a t0ss and not screwing up, unlike BuffHoon.
As mentioned above, it is worth giving him a chance with a few months grace before sticking a BuffHoon style nickname on him!
He may do a reasonable job - that means actually giving a t0ss and not screwing up, unlike BuffHoon.
As mentioned above, it is worth giving him a chance with a few months grace before sticking a BuffHoon style nickname on him!
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Dr Reid not a bad bloke IMHO. He was Shadow Defence pre-1997 and he made a very good and thoughtful presentation at RUSI in the run up to the Election of that year. I think he was a bit p!$$ed off not to get Defence then.
I remember one impressive occasion when he was Min (AF) and was "playing" in a weekend exercise being controlled from Whitehall. It was dreadful weather, so the exercise was a mixture of live play and CPX-ing; some of the more adventurous serials had been cancelled as too risky. As Endex approached in the early hours of Sunday morning, all high level political decisions had been taken, so the "great and the good" were departing, leaving the SO1s to finish up (and clear up!). Reid stays - chainsmoking all the time; to be told it's all right if he wants to leave.
"I'm confused by this CPX thing; are we really going to have real troops sliding down ropes out of helicopters on a ****e night like this?"
"Yes Minister"
"Then I'm going nowhere until I know all of my people are safe!"
And he did....... can't imagine many other politicians doing likewise, least of all at 2 o'clock on a Sunday morning....
I remember one impressive occasion when he was Min (AF) and was "playing" in a weekend exercise being controlled from Whitehall. It was dreadful weather, so the exercise was a mixture of live play and CPX-ing; some of the more adventurous serials had been cancelled as too risky. As Endex approached in the early hours of Sunday morning, all high level political decisions had been taken, so the "great and the good" were departing, leaving the SO1s to finish up (and clear up!). Reid stays - chainsmoking all the time; to be told it's all right if he wants to leave.
"I'm confused by this CPX thing; are we really going to have real troops sliding down ropes out of helicopters on a ****e night like this?"
"Yes Minister"
"Then I'm going nowhere until I know all of my people are safe!"
And he did....... can't imagine many other politicians doing likewise, least of all at 2 o'clock on a Sunday morning....
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Incompetence I imagine. Do you really expect the socialists to stick anyone with an ounce of backbone in an area so embarrasing to the Labour gvt as Defence? Could imagine they much prefer someone who is going to roll over as soon as any pressure from the treasury arose.
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A pity TCR was not a real Dr as my chalfonts have been playing merry hell lately.
No matter TCH or TCR, both have been/will be a pain in the jetpipe, politicians will never understand unless of course we send their sons/daughters to fight. Hey there's an idea?
Congrats to Reg Keys for getting over 4000 votes and having the balls to look Tony Bliar in the face and make him squirm and whince. Bliar looked pretty uncomfortable, but I don't think it was guilt on his face. Maybe Bliars chalfonts were playing him up too
No matter TCH or TCR, both have been/will be a pain in the jetpipe, politicians will never understand unless of course we send their sons/daughters to fight. Hey there's an idea?
Congrats to Reg Keys for getting over 4000 votes and having the balls to look Tony Bliar in the face and make him squirm and whince. Bliar looked pretty uncomfortable, but I don't think it was guilt on his face. Maybe Bliars chalfonts were playing him up too
Suspicion breeds confidence
It pains me to say it that John Reid is the only member of this useless bunch of incompetants that I have any time for. So I hope he gets the job.
Remember being told by a colleague that he had bumped into John Reid (in the Ivory Towers) with his head in his hands shortly after he had been told he was getting 'Health'. Apparently he didn't want to move from Defence. Well JR welcome back - I hope!! Despite my dislike for new liabour (and prOOne's incessant defence of everything new and old liabour 
) I think John Reid will be a massive improvement on Buff. Mind you a potato would have been an improvement on Buff! I hope John Reid stands up to Gordon Broon, Defence is going to need someone to stand up for it if he becomes PM!!!
) I think John Reid will be a massive improvement on Buff. Mind you a potato would have been an improvement on Buff! I hope John Reid stands up to Gordon Broon, Defence is going to need someone to stand up for it if he becomes PM!!!
'The Doc' sounds as though he'll be a breath of fresh air after the useless BuffHoon. Despite being in Trust-me-Tone's lot, he will hopefully prove to be sufficiently testiculated to tell Greedy Gordon to $od off and leave Defence alone!
Hardly surprising that Bliar had the smug gurn wiped off his face with the ar$e-kicking the electorate gave him. A shame he didn't do the same as Transylvanian Howard and stand down; hopefully we've got a rising prospect locally in the shape of our local MP, David Cameron, who might be up for leading the next Conservative victory.
Good news for the pi$$ed-off motorists of Oxfordshire - Labour was kicked out in droves and the County Council is no longer hung but now has a substantial Conservative majority. So we'll see how the vow to stop the 'War against the Motorist' made by the Conservative council leader translates into action........
Standing by for that dear old Trot pr00ne to spin some crap about what a resounding success New Liarbour had at the election....
Hardly surprising that Bliar had the smug gurn wiped off his face with the ar$e-kicking the electorate gave him. A shame he didn't do the same as Transylvanian Howard and stand down; hopefully we've got a rising prospect locally in the shape of our local MP, David Cameron, who might be up for leading the next Conservative victory.
Good news for the pi$$ed-off motorists of Oxfordshire - Labour was kicked out in droves and the County Council is no longer hung but now has a substantial Conservative majority. So we'll see how the vow to stop the 'War against the Motorist' made by the Conservative council leader translates into action........
Standing by for that dear old Trot pr00ne to spin some crap about what a resounding success New Liarbour had at the election....
Suspicion breeds confidence
BEagle, I agree 100%. Pr00ne is entitled to his views and I defend his right to hold them. Lets see how JR pans out, but I have to say that I am not hopeful - but we shall see.