LABOUR DERANGEMENT SYNDROME:

Labour ministers plan reputation trashing of Army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt (James Kirkup, 17 Jul 2009, Daily Telegraph)

Sir Richard has publicly called for more troops and helicopters in Afghanistan, piling pressure on Gordon Brown over his support for the Armed Forces.

Visiting Afghanistan this week, he again called for more “boots on the ground” and revealed he had been forced to borrow a US helicopter because no British aircraft were available.

His words infuriated ministers, and after Sir Richard’s retirement on August 28, some Labour MPs plan to raise questions about the general’s role in recent decisions on defence policy.

One minister said: “Once he’s gone, we can have a go at him. He can write his book and talk all he wants, but he’ll be fair game then.”

In retirement, Sir Richard is likely to remain a thorn in Labour’s side.

Even England isn't so far gone that you can win political points by being anti-military.

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 18, 2009 7:46 AM