Legion magazine editorial
Published: 26 October 2009
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth have backtracked on earlier plans to make cutbacks on Territorial Army training.
It comes after rising criticism from the Conservative and Lib Dem parties and stories of reservist soldiers threatening to quit altogether.
And after Mr Brown’s defeat earlier this year on Gurkha immigration policy, it looks like the PM wants to avoid another public relations disaster. Oh dear.
The £20m decision – to cut valuable training weekends and make reservist soldiers use blanks when practising – was under fire over fears that it would damage the capability of TA troops once they were deployed in Afghanistan. Currently, around 500 troops on the front line are made up of TA soldiers, who also hold down civilian jobs back home.
But the PM faced yet more criticism after Tuesday's U-turn.
Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said: “It is a sad fact that Gordon Brown’s moral compass has only managed to kick
in in the face of opposition across the board.”
And elsewhere on the
Army Rumour Service forums – the networking website used by members of the armed forces, soldiers accused Mr Brown of backtracking to gain more votes.
Posting earlier this week, BaldBaBoon said: “The only reason they are talking about backtracking was because it is going to make the Prime Minister/Government look bad.”
And Bobthedog wrote: "Known to crack under pressure, another embarrassing episode from this
government that has lost direction, steerage and leadership."
"Brown does more flip-flops than Woolworths used to do in Blackpool."
What do you think the PM's motives were? Could it be that common sense prevailed, or has he backtracked for another reason?
