Our men must know why they are fighting

For the rest of the country, however, the death of our 100th serviceman gives cause for deep reflection on the war.

Three questions above all demand precise answers. Why are we fighting? What progress are we making? And when will our work be done?

Why?: The 100 troops that have died during the conflict in Afghanistan

In 2001, when we invaded with our American allies after 9/11, our purpose seemed clear: to close down terrorist training camps and drive out the Taliban regime that protected them.

But what is it now, two years since the then Defence Secretary, John Reid, suggested we could be out by 2009 'without a shot being fired'?

Today, Gordon Brown speaks of turning Afghanistan into 'an emerging democracy'  -  a tall order indeed, in an inhospitable land which has known little but anarchy for centuries.

Meanwhile defence chiefs speak of setting up schools, giving Afghans access to healthcare, tackling the opium trade and liberating local women from subjugation to their menfolk  -  laudable aims, perhaps, but are these good enough reasons for shedding British blood?

Most preposterously of all, Foreign Secretary David Miliband insults our intelligence  -  and belittles the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of British lives  -  by trying to draw parallels with the Second World War.

Ludicrously, he suggests the front line in the battle for our civilisation's survival has shifted from the White Cliffs of Dover in 1940 to Helmand province in 2008.

If this posturing stripling seriously believes Afghan tribesmen pose a threat comparable to Hitler's, then why isn't he throwing all our resources into defeating them  -  instead of leaving it to 7,800 undermanned and ill-equipped troops?

But of course he believes nothing of the sort. He just wants to talk himself up.

The least the Government owes our heroic forces is proper resources, a realistic statement of our objectives  -  and a clear strategy for withdrawal.

Or will we still be wondering precisely what we hope to achieve in Afghanistan when our 200th serviceman is blown up by the roadside?

Militants march again

Just when you thought things could hardly get worse for Gordon Brown, a long-forgotten force has re-awoken to torment him: militant trade unionism is on the march again in British politics.

Public sector strikes are up, with more than a million days lost last year and many more stoppages threatened.

Meanwhile, trade union bosses are putting pressure on Labour MPs, threatening to withdraw their funds unless they back union-friendly policies.

So will the Government submit to their blackmail? The temptation must be strong, as private donations fall away and Labour depends once again on the unions for more than 90 per cent of its funding.

But it must be resisted at all costs. Mr Brown must remember he governs for all Britain  -  and not just for Labour's union paymasters. If he forgets that, he can say goodbye to all hope of recovery.

Alone and forgotten

As the 'divorce generation' reaches retirement, says Help the Aged, half a million elderly men are leading desperately lonely lives without any contact with their children.

Isn't this yet another reminder of how much we threw away when our society lost sight of the importance of the family?