Why Fox Must Thin Out

 "It is better to have a lion at the head of an army of sheep, than a sheep at the head of an army of lions." - Daniel Defoe

Dr Liam Fox has been under attack from elements of the media and Westminster for many days. No doubt some political scores are being settled and some ambitious individuals are attempting to exploit the uncomfortable position in which he now finds himself. His supporters are highlighting his good work and justify recent reported incidents as poor judgement calls. Innuendo and suggestive rumour has become mainstream and all the more unedifying the more the pack leap onto that particular bandwagon.

It's not good enough though and Fox must pack up his kit and thin out. This is why...

It is hammered into young officers from the day they walk through the gates of Sandhurst, and subsequently their regiments, that their mantra must be "others before self." Integrity and moral courage are absolutes; not fuzzy aspirational buzz words. Servicemen of all ranks have, in the past, lost both their names and their careers for lapses which are insignificant when compared to the growing list of bollocks dropped by the Defence Secretary. 

He must leave because he has lost the moral authority to lead the men and women of the services who have a right to expect much, much better; as does the nation.

New Corp for Army!

In a modern update to the old parade ground joke, "All those with mothers take one pace forward........ Stand Still Jones!" we learn with jaw dropping incedulity that 38 Warrant Officers on the long service list were recently given the good news by email that they were no longer required. Of course it's not very clever but it's not the most outrageous thing that any of these experianced men on extended service will have seen in their time.

This is the letter,

8 February 2011



NOTIFICATIONS TO DISCHARGE FROM THE LSL/VENG LC LIST FOR PERSONNEL WHOSE CONTRACTS ARE DUE TO TERMINATE 1 APR 11 TO 12 JAN 12

1. In my capacity as the Career Manager for the Versatile Engagement Long Career (VEng LC) and Long Service List (LSL), I write to notify you that with regret, I must issue you with 12 months Notice of Termination.

2. This may be a temporary measure which will be confirmed once DM (A) has established the Army Manning Priority and future requirement for each post. As you are aware, the VEng LC cohort 3 conversions never materialised and a decision has still not been made as to grant further periods of service for personnel within that cohort. There is a possibility that you will be granted further service, albeit not a VEng LC contract. It will possibly take the form of a 2 year continuance package; however this is still to be confirmed.

3. This 12 month notification can now be treated as an executive order to start planning and make best use of the excellent resettlement package available to you. If you are overseas then this period will allow you sufficient time to apply for the last 6 months in the UK. During this termination period I will continue fight your case for further service and actively seek employment elsewhere on the VEng LC & LSL.

4. Your service on the VEng LC & LSL has been greatly appreciated and I acknowledge that some of you have been in this unique service community for only a short period of time. As I’m sure you are aware the Army has to make significant cut backs and we as the VEng LC & LSL are expected to play our part in reductions.

5. What happens next – You are to submit an AFB 6848 now extending your contract to the12 Jan 12. You are to remain in your current appointment and employment and will not be subject to any movement that may have been published earlier on the 2011 posting plot. Please inform your Chain of Command as soon as possible so that they can contact me regarding any issues.

6. Your last day of service in the Army will now be 12 Jan 12.

7. I would be grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this letter and initiate an AFB 6848 as briefed in para 5. I fully understand your concerns and I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions.


(Original signed)

While it's obviously not an optimal way to give people the bad news, it is happening to people up and down the country every day, ( they can always join our brave lads in Plockton!). What is somewhat more a cause for concern, outrage and apoplexy is the number of press officers employed by the MOD. The tenacious ferrets at Think Defence have been looking at recent parliamentary questions and answers.

"In light of recent news about sacking trainee pilots and Warrant Officers on the Long Service List a recent parliamentary answer offers a good contrast.

Angus Robertson, the SNP Member of Parliament for Moray asked the following question,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) press officers, (b) internal communications officers, (c) external communications officers, (d) communications strategy officers and (e) other positions with a communications remit were employed by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) each other non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department on the most recent date for which figures are available.

The answer was pretty surprising, or not, depending on how cynical you are.

Communication of defence is important to support the reputation of the armed forces, understanding of military operations and other activities and to support recruitment. These figures include both military and civilian posts throughout Defence, including armed forces’ commands and operational theatres. Savings have been made across the communications area during the course of the current financial year and further substantial reductions are planned. The latest figures for the numbers involved in specialist communications roles are for financial year 2009-10 and were produced in support of a Cabinet Office led exercise to capture such information across Government. They are as follows:

	MOD/armed forces	Trading funds	Non-departmental public bodies
Press officers	112	8	1
Internal communications officers	52	8	0
External communications officers	365	26	0
Communications strategy officers	67	2.5	0
Other	101	7	3

The answer of course failed to provide a total, they never do when questions like this are asked, perhaps the MoD think no one will notice or be bothered to add up.

Leaving aside the trading funds like the Met Office or DSTL and the NDPB’s, the MoD has a grand total of 697 personnel (likely a mix of military and civil servants) engaged on communication activities.

Now we should step back from the initial shock and ask what do they do?

It is fair to say that some of them will be involved with recruiting and vital internal communications like equipment safety for example,  but can we really justify an infantry battalions worth of communications officers at a time when we are shedding capabilities and personnel left, right and centre?"

Think Defence have nailed it and in fact, this has been a running sore for many years. I have a fistful of unpublished letters to the Telegraph on this very subject; (I have bin loads on lots of other subjects!).

So enlightened, I'm particularly taken with the breakdown in press officer numbers, there’s enough of the blighters to form a small corp which I think should be done immediately. Obviously, their cap badge will be a blindfold surmounted on a wall of smoke, they will wear a flash on their right shoulder depicting a Blackberry and Alistair Campbell can be their Regimental Colonel. They'll be armed with Mk II Poison Pens, “Anything Goes,” will be their Regimental march and their first posting will be to Cultybraggan in Perthshire as the permanent garrison for the forseeable future.

Anyone know what comparable numbers were in 1982….. or did we just have Ian McDonald and a tea lady?

Here's the thing though.... the battalions worth of press officers at the MOD haven't helped with this, or many other recent bad news stories and if we had fewer press officers we might not feel the need to bin 38 warrant officers who, at a rough guess, will have somewhere in the order of 850 years + of combined service.

Cock Up at the MOD

Bloomberg is reporting an interesting story this morning,

Ministers and civil servants are hurriedly trying to discover how a TA Platoon based in Plockton, Rosshire has remained active 44 years after it should have disbanded. 

2 Platoon, C Company of the 11th Bn Seaforth Highlanders, formerly part of the 51st Highland Division, has been meeting every Wednesday night at the Plockton Drill Hall and on occasional weekends on local landowners estates. The entire regiment was disbanded in 1966 and followed the amalgamation of the regular battalions of Seaforth and Cameron Highlanders in 1961. "The order to disband never reached them, " said the local Provost William Maclean, "Communications in the sixties here weren't what they are today and the lads simply carried on."

The average age of the men at 57 is somewhat higher than that for a normal TA platoon. This is despite the OC, local magistrate and Shorthorn Breeders Champion, Captain Douglas M MacGillivray, continuing to recruit, as older members have passed away. 

Captain MacGillvray is quoted in the Highland News saying, "We thought it odd no one ever came to inspect us or query our annual returns but apparently we were sending them to a long defunct office at what we thought was Battalion Headquarters but it seems it was demolished years ago and is now a Tesco supermarket."

Local crofter, Sergeant Malcolm Macleod expressed enthusiasim at the prospect of being brought back into the military mainstream. "The boys are looking forward to getting rid of the old battledress and gaiters and are raring to go."

The anomaly was brought to the attention of Ministers by the local MP Charles Kennedy, who said, "These men are a testament to the stoic, quiet loyalty and soldiering quality of the Highlander. I urge the Government to treat them properly and redress matters of pay, conditions and equipment." 

Government ministers and officials are examining British and European employment law and the matter of an estimated £6.3m in inflation adjusted back pay, bounties and recompense for expenditure on rations and petrol, previously met by successive Platoon Commanders.

Some observers suggested that the Goverment might try and spin the dreadful embarrassment and investigate the formation of more TA units manned by older personnel.

A source close to the MOD said, "Someone's going to be for the chop over this. On the one hand it's bloody Brigadoon meets Whisky Galore but on the other it's a six and a half million pound cock up. The press will have a field day."