The Military Covenant

It must include not sending them to fight pointless, unwinnable and in at least one case illegal wars.

And it must, since they are British too, preclude huge transfers of money from public services, private pockets or both into the fighting of the Crazies' endless wars. But I doubt that the military top brass, never mind the rank and file, wants any such transfer, because I doubt that any of them wants any such war. Knowing what war is like, they are extremely averse to it if at all avoidable, like Jim Webb or Jacques Chirac; old brothers in arms of John McCain were aghast at his views on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, on bombing Iran, on torture, and on veterans' issues.

I for one would love them to say so, and for our Forces to bring themselves home in such a way that Cameron, Clegg, Fox and the rest would only find out when they switched on their televisions and saw the triumphant marching through the cheering, flag-waving crowds. Without a shot's needing to be fired, our rotten and decadent, blood-thirsty but battle-cowardly Political Class would be brought crashing to the ground.

Now that really would be the defence of this Realm, the honouring the Military Covenant from the Forces' side.