Future Nest feathering by Sir Jock?
 

From the Torygraph.
What's the story here then? After a new job after the RAF??:E

Head of Armed Forces wants Des Browne to stay as Defence Secretary - Telegraph

He's confirmed in post til 2011.

Once that happened he started showing the spine that some thought he'd lacked previously and started speaking out.

Perhaps the paper has it right, and he feels that he and Browne can do a good job together.

And he may have received some hints that Sean Woodward is perhaps a stronger possibility as a successor to Des than the report suggests. In which case, gentle lobbying for Browne is no bad thing...

Might it be simpler than that? Cabinet shuffle due next month, lots going on across 2 theatres, change in management not a good thing at the moment? Isn't the usual complaint that nobody sees beyond their 2 yr tour? :suspect:

This story has done the rounds before, about a month ago. I think it's dangerous talk. Firstly, it gives an impression that the politicians have a core role in departmental business. Is holding on to one politician really going to have an effect on MoD operations? Come off it.

Second, what happens when we have a general election? Are the Chiefs going to ask to keep Gordon as PM so they can continue planning for Iraq and Afghanistan? No, don't be silly.

It's the PM's decision who he shuffles, not a department's. Anyway, do the Chiefs really want to keep hold of a part-timer?

IMHO Mr C is right. "The devil you know, rather than the devil you don't" springs to mind. Maybe Sir Jock has made a sensible suggestion.

Brown and Co don't give a buckled fart for us anyway, and he could well give us Harriet Harperson, Ruth Kelly or Hazel Blears! Arrrrrrghhhhhhhhhhh :yuk::yuk:

Nowt wrong with a lady SecDef, of course, as long as it's Maggie T.:ok:

Pip pip

ON