SDSR 2015

Whilst the headline announcements in Parliament this afternoon are most welcome, particularly in the present circumstances, the devil, as usual, will be in the detail.  To say the least, the manpower challenges - recruitment, retention and training - to fulfil the new capabilities will be formidable.  But let us hope that, unlike many previous Government announcements, this one does not unravel straight away!

Conservatives in a Spin over Tax Credits

As Conservatives reflect upon the underwhelming attempt to sell Working Tax Credit Reform, they may care to consider the message.  "Moving to a low tax, low welfare, low spend economy" may be an unassailable macro-economic objective but I don't think it cuts it as far as "hard-working families" go.  I suggest something more simple and directed to the individual pocket - "fair to both tax-payers and benefit claimants," perhaps?

Are We Becoming Ungovernable?

I have not read the fine print of the Conservative Manifesto 2015 and it may be, on the current issue, that the Upper House has a point and is justified in interfering with legitimate legislation.  But I was dismayed by the Government's pathetic defence of their policy and the complete surrender of sympathy to the BBC's endless stream of hard luck stories.  How about some sympathy for tax-payers? Nevertheless, suitably emboldened by yesterdays "humiliating defeat" of the Government, I fear we should expect to hear more from our Noble Lords, particularly over issues such as the EU Referendum and Human Rights.  Doubtless, they will feel similarly justified to frustrate the will of the Commons.  Such righteousness will only encourage Labour activists seeking to frustrate government through "direct action." How long, I wonder, before we become ungovernable?

Syrian Refugee Priority

A large number of senior Clergy (84) presumably representing the less than 800,000 church-goers, have written a letter to the Prime Minister attacking Government policy on Syrian refugees.  The Bishop of Durham said it was "disheartening" that he had not received a "substantive reply."

In response, Michael Fallon correctly points out that "no other country in Europe was doing more in Syria than Britain."

Meanwhile, here at home, our righteous clergy might be better placed if they directed their influence to putting our own house in order before inviting more pressure upon our limited resources.  Unless, of course, their intervention assumes that the 80,000 of our children in care will be housed first and that something has already been done about a situation which sees one child admitted to care every 20 minutes!

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Strategic Defence and Security Review Public Engagement

The Government website has announced:

"The Cabinet Office, Department for International Development, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Home Office, Ministry of Defence as well as other departments are working together on the NSS and SDSR. This review will look at the full range of threats that we face; it will examine the capabilities we need to counter them; and help us judge how to resource those capabilities.

As part of this work, we are engaging with a range of audiences, including Parliament, academics, industry, think tanks, Allies and partners, non-governmental organisations and the public. This is why we have developed an online form giving members of the public the opportunity to contribute ideas and suggestions on defence and security matters which will be used to inform the work we are doing."

With some time on my hands, and starting from the fundamental that defence of the UK is the first duty of our Government, I thought I would compose a short piece highlighting the now obvious errors of SDSR 2010 and suggesting, taking account of the darkening strategic situation, these deficiencies might be addressed. 

Imagine my surprise to find that "the opportunity to contribute ideas and suggestions on defence and security matters which will be used to inform the work we are doing," is limited to just 1500 characters (about 300 words, I understand, or a couple of Tweets).

Now, during my time at Staff College, polishing my Service Writing skills, the importance of brevity was stressed but 300 words, even from armchair-airmen like me, is a bit of a challenge!

It is particularly galling since the Secretary of State for Defence has said:

"This is a strategic defence review, not a Treasury-led review, a review across the whole of government to assess the threats to the country and the future threats that may emerge to our country, the capabilities needed to address those threats and, of course, the resources we need to finance those capabilities."

Sadly, given the insulting opportunity for public consultation, I think we can draw our own conclusion about the SDSR terms of reference and Treasury intentions!

C4 Claims Black Americans "Disenfranchised"

I hope you don't think I have nothing better to do than to complain to the BBC or C4, but this really cried out for comment.  Kylie Morris, reporting from Ferguson, concluded her report by saying that the subjects of the riots and unrest were "disenfranchised."  I'm pretty sure that all American citizens can vote, regardless of their ethnicity, so I took C4 to task for their use of the word "disenfranchised."  This was their preposterous reply:

"Thank you for contacting Channel 4 News regarding Kylie Morris' recent report on the shooting in Ferguson.

We are sorry to read that you feel the language used by Kylie was inappropriate, given the context of the piece the term disenfranchised referred to a general feeling of disconnection with the government, state or political process. "

Call me old-fashioned, but I rather like to stick with the accepted definition of words because it tends to avoid misunderstanding.  If the pompous Kylie Morris really wanted us to know that there was a general feeling of disconnection with the government, state or political process, then why on earth did she not say so?  Instead, she claims that some people in Ferguson are denied the vote!  Words fail me!