Tory Defence Policy: A touch of Class

It is not often that Billothewisp feels impressed by a political interview, even more irregular are the times he is both impressed and in enthusiastic agreement.

This morning, on my usual trudge to do my my bit for the improvement of Neanderthal-kind I was listening to the radio.

At about 7.35 there was an interview with (I think) Pauline Neville-Jones. Now, while we she may well be one of the great good and extremely well fed, she spoke a great deal of sense.

Ms Neville-Jones iterated, explained and defended the current Conservative defence policy. Essentially this policy comes down to avoiding getting into any more wars. It looks to defending England and the UK rather than getting involved in any more foreign adventures. Of course this may of course all be blown off course by world events. But the prospect of having a government that puts both our country and our military above neo-colonial posturing is very appealing to me.

The military in this country have been used and abused by the Labour party for more years than I can now remember. They have used to primarily to enable the mighty King Gordo and his Clan to grandstand on the world stage. Their remit has been to intervene in and and fight other peoples wars for them. In all, even with poor equipment and appallingly awful political guidance, they have done the professional job one expects from the British Military. But really, our lads and lasses have been used a bit like a Kleenex to mop up someone else's filth. Then they are then discarded without a second thought.

When he was chancellor, Gordon Brown ensured that our military went without. Helicopter orders were either cancelled or vetoed and Defence spending was brutally used as a cash cow for the wonderful and productive schemes of the current government (none of which come to mind).

Blair, Brown and the others, then sent our troops into combat ill prepared and either without sufficient equipment or with equipment that was sometimes so old it was designed by their grandfathers.

Today the Labour Party continually tries and blame Iraq debacle on Tony Blair. But we should all remember that this is Cabinet government. In other words Gordo and all his associates (you could hardly call them mates could you?) were also enthusiastic supporters.

After listening to Pauline Neville-Jones this morning, I would have been quite happy, there and then , to pull over and vote for David Cameron.

I hope this is not a ruse, to be forgotten in government. But I must keep reminding myself, it could hardly be any worse than the known and bloody track record of the Labour party.