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'Simple sailor' is seen as effective, but lacking nous
Nicholas Cecil27.04.09
A simple sailor, not a politician is how Lord West famously once described himself.
The former head of the Royal Navy used this humble phrase after being forced into an embarrassing U-turn by Downing Street for casting doubts on the Government's plans to detain suspected terrorists for up to 42 days without charge.
With his military experience and reputation as a straight-talker, Lord West of Spithead was seen as an ideal "Goat" when he was appointed security minister by Gordon Brown for his "government of all the talents" in the summer of 2007.
The 61-year-old peer won the Distinguished Service Cross commanding the frigate Ardent during the Falklands war. He stayed at the helm of the vessel after it had been hit by Argentinian bombs in San Carlos Water.
He witnessed 22 of his men die on board and only ordered the ship to be abandoned when the steering failed.
He was appointed First Sea Lord in 2002 and served until 2006. During this time, he demanded an assurance from ministers that the invasion of Iraq in 2003 was legal and spoke out against defence cuts.
As a minister, he has driven security up the political agenda, though critics argue that the Government has not acted quickly enough to improve protection of the Tube and other public venues.
Seen as one of the more effective "Goats", he has, though, rocked the political boat at times by showing a lack of political nous, most significantly after voicing concerns over the longer detention-without-charge period.
He was also accused of acting recklessly after apparently revealing that there was an imminent terror plot being investigated. He told the Lords last October: "The [terrorist] threat is huge we unravelled one and the plots faded slightly. However, another great plot is building up again, which we are monitoring."
