This comes as no surprise after this and this.
Liam Fox and his CIA SpAd have a much-trailed scheme to abolish all three Armed Forces in favour of something like the United States Marine Corps, except in no sense an elite force, as part of the single EU defence "capability" under overall America command. It should never be forgotten that an absolute ban on Germany's having an Air Force was written into the Treaty of Versailles. To be deprived of this right by one's vanquishers is one of the great historic indicators that defeat has tipped over into humiliation.
Still, look at the people with whom the far more traditionally Tory David Cameron and William Hague have encircled Fox at the MoD. Apart from the Lib Dem Eurosceptic Nick Harvey, I do not know about Peter Luff, but Gerald Howarth is late of the European Arab Bank, Andrew Robathan has been on his travels courtesy of CMEC (Nicholas Soames, Hugo Swire, Crispin Blunt, Alan Duncan, Commons receptions to celebrate Norouz, you get the idea), and Lord Astor is actually CMEC's Vice-Chairman. No wonder that Fox feels the need for Luke Coffey to keep him company. Cameron has effectively given him a team of warders.
Swire, Blunt and Duncan are also Ministers, and could perfectly easily be bumped up to join Ken Clarke and Andrew Lansley in the Cabinet, as could Howarth, or Robathan, or whoever. Fox is far from irreplaceable, and appears to have been set up for a fall, taking the neocon entryist tendency down with him. We live in hope. Fox has an implacable, and probably pecuniary, opposition to Hague's pursuit of bilateral ties with Russia, with China, with Latin American countries, with the Arab world in general and the UAE in particular, with India, with Indonesia, with Japan, with the major Commonwealth countries of Africa, and through the Commonwealth generally. Never mind withdrawal from Afghanistan.
So, if you really want this Blairite defence policy and the abandonment of an anti-Blairite foreign policy based instead on common sense, decency and the national interest, then hope (if you can, vote) for David Miliband as Leader of the Labour Party and as Prime Minister.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Nothing in the articles to which you refer suggests the probable demise of the RAF. Liam Fox is merely pointing out that it is pointless to maintain separate procurement processes for kit that is intended to do the same job. For example, the Royal Marines and the RAF Regiment should buy the same infantry kit as the Army. That's not the same thing as merger. Anyway, merger beyond procurement would be pointless as there would be no resultant savings. Non-specialist training is already merged, as is a good deal of specialist training where the skills are required by more than one service. What do you object to? Is it interservice operational merging - joint formations and the like? They have been the norm for decades, ever since the problems caused by interservice rivalry during the Falklands War. Perhaps it is joint basing that you dislike. That has existed for economic reasons for as long as there have been three services and is, of course, essential in combat. You have no real argument, because you are trying to build a case against nothing.
ReplyDeleteWe all know what he and his are really about. With any luck, he won't be there long.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your problem with Luke Coffey? I know him well. He is a nice guy and has NOTHING to do with the CIA!
ReplyDeleteOf course he has.
ReplyDeleteBut he'll be gone soon enough.
Reminds me of the boneheaded decision in a boneheaded year, 1968, to merge the Canadian armed forces, which made some sense on paper as they were so small. It was so bad for morale - colonels and corporals in green uniforms manning warships, and abolishing the RCAF that helped fight the Battle of Britain - they've since backed off a bit (the navy and air force have some of their traditions back) but not entirely.
ReplyDelete