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Minister denies Army chief 'smear plot'
20 Aug 2009Junior defence minister Kevan Jones denied claims that he was leading a plot to smear outgoing head of the Army General Sir Richard Dannatt.
Newspaper reports claimed Labour MPs were being led by a minister in a bid to expose how much the chief of the general staff had spent on entertaining guests at his official residence in Kensington Palace.
Internet gossip sites suggested veterans minister Mr Jones was behind the plot, but last night he issued a statement saying: "It is obviously the 'silly season' in the blogosphere.
"Gen Dannatt and I have worked very closely on a number of personnel-related issues, because we both care deeply about servicemen and women.
"I look forward to continuing my working relationship with Gen Dannatt, both now as chief of the general staff and beyond into his retirement."
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman added: "MoD ministers are not involved in a plot to smear Gen Dannatt.
"Any suggestion that they are is nonsense. At such an important time for the mission in Afghanistan, everyone at the top of the MOD is focused on the task in hand."
Gen Dannatt, 58, is due to leave his post later this month and has been outspoken in recent weeks about the need for more equipment to tackle the home-made bombs which have proved deadly in Afghanistan.
He also drew up a "shopping list" of requirements for troops in the field which was presented to Gordon Brown.
And he has been unrepentant about his high-profile interventions amid allegations that he has been "politicised", saying this week: "Too right I am waging some kind of campaign.
"I am waging some kind of campaign within the Ministry of Defence and within government to make sure that our people on the frontline carrying out difficult and dangerous operations on behalf of the nation have got the right level of manpower and have got the right amount of equipment."
Reports suggested Freedom of Information (FoI) requests had been submitted on behalf of Labour MPs to find out how much public money had been spent entertaining guests at Gen Dannatt's residence, in an attempt to tarnish the Military Cross winner's reputation ahead of his retirement.
The MoD denied this was the case.
Mr Jones, the MP for Durham North, was appointed to the MoD in October 2008 - his first ministerial job.
He was first elected in 2001, having served for 11 years on Newcastle City Council.
Reader views (3)
Does anyone believe a word of what 'an MoD spokesman' may have to say? Why dies this individual hide behind anonymity?
And does anyone believe a word that Kevan Jones utters?
Why has Foulkes joined in?
- Chuck Unsworth, London, 20/08/2009 09:24
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"Gen Dannatt and I have worked very closely on a number of personnel-related issues, because we both care deeply about servicemen and women" - well we can see General Dannatt does: he's dedicated his life to military service - but I see little evidence that this jumped up little Junior Minister cares at all! Interesting to note that they are not on first-name terms . . .
Dannatt is retiring: understandably he needs a pension in his old age so won't be speaking out until it's secure - especially given this Government's previous track record with whistle-blowers - but after that I'm sure all sorts of interesting things are going to come out which the Government would prefer the public didn't know.
- Roz, France, 20/08/2009 08:57
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How can you believe anything said by members of this Government?
- Tonyjohnson, Hythe Kent, 20/08/2009 08:35
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