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- Friendly fire: Chris Grayling falls off message
- Helmand: Extra troops for Afghanistan
- Lords: Cameron wants 45 young and working peers
- Donations: Tories rake in record £1.5m profit
- Education: Parents get £5,000 to pick state school
- Conservative party conference diary
- Paul Waugh's blog: Grayling blunder - not as big as Dannatt's?
The former head of the army is to be made a Tory peer after accusing Labour ministers of “smearing” him.
General Sir Richard Dannatt will be ennobled and become an adviser to the shadow defence secretary, Liam Fox.
David Cameron will announce the move tomorrow at the party's conference in Manchester.
Sir Richard said he had not been “publicly” approached but was willing to serve under the
Tory leader — who effectively confirmed speculation by saying the general had more service to offer.
“He has been a great public servant and I think he has more to give,” said Mr Cameron in an interview with the BBC.
Sir Richard, 58, has been a heavyweight critic of Gordon Brown's leadership over Afghanistan,
criticising shortages of helicopters and urging for more troops to train local forces.
He said he would be “theoretically” willing to serve as a minister.
“I have always taken the view that I will get on with the job at hand, and do it as well as I can.
“If someone in a future life wants me to do something else, well, let them ask the question
and I will give the answer.”
Pressed on whether he could envisage accepting such a request, he replied: “Theoretically, yes. No one's asked me that question — that question has not been put in a public way.”
Today Sir Richard attacked Labour over Afghanistan, telling the BBC the Government tried
to damage his reputation after “losing the argument”.
He also said Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth did not “call the shots” on setting the level of troops, amid reports that the Army wants an extra 1,000 soldiers for the campaign.
Sir Richard told BBC Radio 5 Live: “The question has to be asked, Does the Prime Minister want to deploy 9,800 troops?' I think Bob wants to do it. It is down to Number 10.”
He also admitted making mistakes when trying to persuade Mr Brown to increase troop numbers in Helmand. He said he was “very disappointed” the
Prime Minister refused to increase the level to 9,800, and added that he thought the decision was made because of cost.
“I think he [Mr Brown] had to put it in the context of the wider financial meltdown over the last 12 months,” he said.
This year the number of British troops in the country rose from 8,000 to just over 9,000.
Labour MPs seized on the news that Sir Richard may become a Tory minister. Former defence minister Doug Henderson said: “The protocol
is for senior military officers who retire to have a period of purdah before they start making political comments. He was an excellent general. But it's most unusual ... to take office so quickly.”
Reader views (25)
Failed to win the war in Afghanistan. Now trying to shift the blame onto others. Should fit in as a politician.
- Mick, London, England
When this fellow says "the army doesn't have adequate tools or soldiers for the job" and Gordon says "yes they do", I know who I believe and it isn't Gormless Gordon. The unelected so-called PM should just read the coffee and get out.
- Thomas, London
I would trust Sir Richard Dannatt to go to the corner shop and buy me a bag of sugar - which is more than I could possibly say about ANY MP.
Roll on the general election, let's remove the deadwood from the House of Conmen - and put those in the dock who stole money from the taxpayer.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
Just a shame that he will be one of only a handfull of honest and competent men and women in parliament!
To be hones it would be better if he had stood as an independant MP or been given a peerage by a respectable government, he would be much respected as a cross bencher.
- Andrew White, Brighton,Sussex
Fighting with one hand behind his back???
A poor craftsmen always blames his tools or lack of them.
Shambolic.
- Daniel, London
Brown didn't visit Iraq during the last tory conference, he went in 2007
- John, london
Trust a General to know where his bread is buttered,another tin pot soldier who never fired a gun in anger,made his mark by playing war games with tin soldiers, as far away from the FRONT LINE as possible
Pete the ex NS man
- Peter Wicks, Langford Bedfordshire
If Mr Cameron is going to announce this appointment tomorrow, then the position must be much more advanced than either party have been admittng in their interviews today. It seems clear that the Conservatives have tried to extract maximum advantage by encouraging General Dannatt to further udermine the Government before disclosing his links to the opposition. They then continued with this silly pretence that the idea of him joining the party is only just being floated. So much for the new honest image and us all being 'in this together'. More like 'We want to con you into thinking the current Government are incompetent, so you will vote for us instead'.
- Adrian, Dorking
He had sounded like Lt-Col. Gusset (ret'd) of Tunbridge Wells for some time, so no surprises here that he has finally "outed" himself as a true-blue Tory. There are invariably at least two sides to any argument, and he has come perilously close to insubordination in his public prouncements and has plainly had difficulty accepting the constitutional order that has the military taking orders from the politicians, not the other way round. In the 1960's and 1970's Harold Wilson was criticized for harbouring paranoia that the securities services and the military were plotting his overthrow. Recent disclosures of MI5 activities combined with the fairly blatant political positioning/posturing of a senior military figure like the future Lord Dannatt make clear that Wilson was not as wide of the mark as supposed. The long-term result of Dannatt's behaviour will not be that ministers' trust in the professional advice of senior military officers is enhanced, but rather than that it will be diminished by the publicity-seeking behaviour of a cantankerous figure like Dannatt.
- Tom Brown, London
Another General who never experienced a shot fired in anger.
Why is the Army run by people who have never been in combat, but wear the right old school tie.
This man is a typical Tory creep.
- John Jones, Westminster
A gallent General given the chance to influence not only toadivise on troop numbers but the proper level of equipment to complete our mission in all of Blairs wars.
That neither he or his lickspital replacement Brown ever dreamed of doing.
The General's knowledge will be invaluable to David Cameron as our Prime Minister!
After we are draggoned into the EU without asking us if we agree and expected to win another lot of wars that Blair is itching to initiate so he can feal like a leader! Getting more phoney medaos and titles in the process!
What a sorry pair of Prime Ministers Cameron will have to clean up after.
Blair the CND clown created three phoney wars to embroil Britain in.
Brown squanderd £3 trillion and like Callaghan cannot even get our rubbish collected, our kids educated, the sick given patient care and those who have paid all their lives the pensions they paid for!
Yet after all that the BBC doubts if Cameron can do better job than Blair or Brown?
What planet are they on?
- Barry, Wales
So nobody had approached him but Lord Snooty is going to announce it tomorrow.Righto Sir Richard,i believe you.
- Colin, barking essex
Tories will make Dannatt a peer
Labour made Mandelson a peer
One's a disciplined trained individual with a backbone
The other is a spineless slimy sleazy conman.
I'll let you decide which is which. I have no doubt the Labour supporters on here will get it wrong.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Quote; İ hope this is not another Government gimmick, i am always suspicious of this government,said by the shadow home sec Chris Grayling!!!!!!! and you are prepared to vote for this shower to run the country, the left hand does not no what the right hand's doing. clueless
- Steve, England
Like the rest of the Generals, who rely on the knowledge of their juniors in the army. and ALL seem to have a "Sir" in front of their names. The old boy network still reigns.
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
Who would you trust Gen Dannatt, or Gordon Brown/Ainsworth ????
Not much of a contest
(On reflection I think I am a little unfair to Ainsworth, I do think he is doing his best, but I do not think he is up to the job, nor does he (or the MOD) have the support of the rest of the Government)
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties
This is excellent news not just for our Forces but the country as a whole. The General is that rare breed who tells his politicial masters the facts & realities as they are on the ground.
- Rupert, London
It is amazing the lengths the Tories will go to to get people to take up teaching. Does everybody from the armed forces get a peerage for teaching form 7S1 under Michael Goves new wheeze?
- C Morgan, Kensington England
Great News - I do hope General Dannett will accept! He would be invaluable as an advisor to Liam Fox and perhaps our Soldiers would benefit greatly from a man who knows what he is talking about.
- Anne Riddle, Leyburn England
Why am I not suprised !!!!
- Alan Baker, essex .uk
Labour are fine ones to talk about convention considering they've broken just about every one in the book.
Brown's visit to Iraq at the last Conservative party conference.
Darling's announcement during this one.
Electing Michael Martin as Speaker.
etc etc
- Swiss Bob, Gen. Switz
“The protocol is for senior military officers who retire to have a period of purdah before they start making political comments. He was an excellent general. But it's most unusual ... to take office so quickly.”
More innuendo from Labour. Trying to make something out of nothing? Note he didn't say it wasn't allowed. Final point, why should a good man who is willing to continue to serve his country, albeit attached to the opposition of the current government (hmmm - I wonder if that has anythiong to do with it...), be held back from doing so, "just because..."?
- Rogan, Irving
Surprise,surprise,the whole dam system is rotten to the core.
- Terrence Boyer, Chelsea
Good news indeed. At least Cameron will have one person around him who has actually had a proper job & has shown some intelligence. After Osborne's pathetic display yesterday he needs all the help he can get.
- Mordwinoff, Lisle France
At least Sir Richard has chosen a fighting party not one-sided PC Party as with NU labour.
As to Sir Richard’s request for additional troops, why aren’t some of the alleged ‘20,000 neglected ex-servicemen who are either in jail or on probation’ being used?
Where as there crimes aren’t serious, grant them a pardon and get them back to where they belong.
The shocking figures compiled by probation staff show that one in ten prisoners used to be in the armed forces - up by almost a third in five years.
Signed Carl Barron Chairman of agpcuk
- Carl Barron, Christchurch, Dorset
