The position of Des Browne seems to be shakier and shakier as every day goes by. Number Ten is clearly distancing itself from the hapless Defence Secretary for reasons which are very clear - Browne is a notable supporter of the Chancellor. The story only keeps its momentum because of statements from Number Ten. It really does smack of the last days of the Fuehrerbunker.
Des Browne is a calamitous Minister who should never have risen beyond the most junior of ministerial ranks. The fact that he has was made Defence Secretary is down to Tony Blair. No one forced him to make the appointment - even Gordon Brown's powers do not extend that far. To appoint Browne to the post while British forces were in state of armed conflict was a grievous error. But to diss him now shows just what Blair and his cronies are like. I got the THICK OF IT DVD yesterday and this whole saga is reminiscent of a scene from that.
Des Browne has admitted he made a mistake and fessed up. Perhaps his begger mistake was blaming it on Navy officials. When will these New Labour Ministers realise that the buck stops with them? Browne has now lost the support of not just the Navy but many others in the armed forces.
Browne is making a statement on Monday in the House of Commons. If he is sensible he will approach it with humility. But let's not forget that this is not the first time he has been forced to make an apology to the House of Commons. It's his second strike. If the House is in a forgiving mood he may be allowed a third one. That's if the Number Ten spin merchants don't get there first.
32 comments:
Is he a deliberate lier or just a sad ,incompetent twerp. My assessment is , he is both and a worthy successor to buff-hoon. Lawyers are they not?
Lawyers - pronounced "liars" - they are to a man....the only ones who don't take the oath in court
And while the media is working itself into a frenzy over the selling of stories and Browne's incompetence, no real questions are being asked about how the kidnap situation was able to happen in the first place.
If they're not going to resign for the deaths of hundreds of thousands in Iraq*, why should a decision on media interviews be something to worry about?
* any invading force becomes the ruling force once it wins the war. yet despite plenty of military plans, it seems the moment the invasion ended, no one had a clue to run the country. The planning to ensure the security, policing and safety with Iraq was weak. Right from the start, US troops rushed to secure the Oil Ministry but sat back as looters pillaged small businesses and other government buildings alike. The police force were sacked yet no there was no replacement. We've had show trials of Saddam but there's still no proper justice system or police there. And it was obvious that neighbours like Iran and Syria would be desperate to undermine the US presence and fund insurgents.
In short, the carnage and slaughter only exists because of blunders and failures. Simply put: you create a vacuum, it soon gets filled by lawlessness.
Did the MoD or Foreign Office even question the Pentagon invasion plans? If they did, they condoned them. If they didn't, they failed to do their job. Either way, it's a disgrace way beyond chequebook journalism.
Iain,
If Des Browne made a mistake, got it wrong or just plain lied, then so did the Second Sea Lord, Vice-Admiral Johns, who has maintained that he made the decision within the Queen's Regs without consulting even the Chief of Defence Staff, who has been spitting tacks.
So have all those civil servants who did not flag up the need for Browne to give his consent. But above all, the Johns. You cannot have it both ways. If Browne is at fault, so is Johns and the others.
In any case, the whole issue is far wider than that publication, with or without money. It is about real problems in the navy. One assumes that is why the Second Sea Lord tried to divert attention. That is not a conspiracy theory, merely an assumption that there will always be an attemtp to cover up a cock-up and the operation was a major one.
Browne is like Beckett, Blair's put them in his cabinet not because they're competent ministers but because they're amongst the few MPs still willing to be loyal to him.
It's no way to run a government.
After what she did at DEFRA, it's a scandal that Beckett's still in the government, never mind holding such a distinguished office.
A leaked early draft of Browne's speech ;)
I pay tribute to our troops risking their lives...sure the House shares my sorrow at the latest casualties (note to advisor, find out their names)....I accept full responsibility for this regrettable occurence....with hindsight I should have reversed the decision.......deeply regret what has happened.....it is not appropriate for me to resign as it will send out the wrong message and undermine morale.....there is an ongoing independent (suppress snigger) inquiry...(statement ends, reply from Opposition and questions)....no, this was nothing to do with Downing Street it was instigated by the Navy....I refer the honourable gentleman/lady to my previous answer.....everything in Iraq is going to plan.....etc
I have a friend who campaigned with Des in Kilmarnock for the Scottish Parliament in 1998 when he was just a lowly local MP.
He relates a story where Des chastised him for handing a 'Vote Yes / Yes" balloon to a little boy who'd been charmed by the colourful balloons - "he doesn't have a vote" Des moaned. Speaks volumes about the man.
Party politics aside he's clearly not cabinet material and the events of the last two weeks demonstrate that.
Appointing Browne was an inspired masterstroke by the Blair cabal. Think of the damage being done to the 'Brown(e)' brand - the great British unwashed will have no idea there are two of them, they'll just see the name and think nah. A emphatic hattip to the schemers on that one.
Just one more Scottish MP. fucking up my country.
It's obvious to all? blair has had to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Hence Becket Browne et hoc. These to be replaced in the near future with what? have the Tories got members with the ability and where with all to turn matters around, don't think so. At best all we can HOPE for is a reduction in the rate of decay & decline.
Browne is one of those Labour "lobby fodder" MPs who would have normally languished in anonymity, emerging to vote for the Govt regardless of the issue. How he got promoted is a mystery--apart from his loyalty to Big Broon.
I know lots of posters on this site sound off about being ruled by Scots, but the talent in the pool of English Labour MPs must be really poor if guys like Browne get promoted. Mind you he is also a Celtic FC season -ticket holder which is always a good standby if you want to advance in West of Scotland politics.
Simone de Beavoir was so right. Walk down any street, she said, and you'll see a war going on: the sex war.
It's not even human beings engaged in this duel to the death, it's those little x and y chromosomes, they are to blame for everything. Wars, greed, ruthless ambition, extreme poverty, the raping of our planet and the relentless power lust of politicians and governments with such disastrous effect on the world.
By far the most destructive chromosomes of all are those that are newly sprung to life or who feel their productive lives ebbing away. Blair, Brown (Des and Stalin) and Balls exemplify the truth of de Beavoir's insight.
The solution is obvious: we must have no more newly found erections or mid-life crises in government and should return to government by chromosome deprives old b*ggers ASAP.
Auntie Flo'
auntie flo , if it wasnt for all that "nasty" testosterone nothing would have ever been invented and you would be sat under a tree eating leaves and fleas of one of your sisters backs
I agree Des Browne must be the worst Defence Minister since Michael Portillo.
How these people end up writing for the right wing press and 'commenting' for that bastion of the right the beeb, I will never know
If Des Browne made a mistake, got it wrong or just plain lied, then so did the Second Sea Lord, Vice-Admiral Johns, who has maintained that he made the decision within the Queen's Regs without consulting even the Chief of Defence Staff, who has been spitting tacks.
So have all those civil servants who did not flag up the need for Browne to give his consent. But above all, the Johns. You cannot have it both ways. If Browne is at fault, so is Johns and the others.
Yes they got it very badly wrong but this is The United Kingdom and the House of Commons cannot remove any Commissioned Officer except presumably by an Address in both Houses of Parliament.
Since the Government controls the business of The House, has a majority on Select Committees, and has directly responsibility for the Armed Forces it is for H M Government to remove any officers guilty of dereliction of duty through procedures available to them........ie. nomination for a peerage and early retirement to care for a sick dog
The Cabinet Secretary as Head of The Civil Service is the only authority which can reprimand Civil Servants. I find your assumption that Stirrup as CDS who has been spitting tacks. bemusing, though I presume you know each other well ?
He has however been in this job slightly less than 12 months - perhaps he ought to get a grip or resign with the rest of them.
There are few private sector organisations where this level of mediocrity would be sustainable after such blatant exposure; and since the House of Commons can only remove the Minister unfortunately, perhaps the rest of them should fall on their swords.
Helen however seems to be peddling a line propagated by Dr Richard North in his defence of Des Browne on various sites recently. No doubt in time we'll all be persuaded that democratic accountability is passe and the Government is not responsible for anything but The Success of The Five Year Plan
Hitch, sorry, but your attempt to distort my suggestion that x and y chromosomes are equally responsible for the power crazed ineptitude of our governments into a feminist rant, fails on several counts.
1. I'm not a feminist
2. What I'm suggesting is that hormonally vacuous governments of 80-90 years olds who'd sleep slumped on their ministerial desks all day and leave us all alone are the ideal.
3. Your claim that testosterone is the force driving invention belies history. That perspective can in no way account for the fact that elderly Tibetan
monks invented steam power thousands of years prior to the industrial revolution.
Auntie Flo' xxx
Gordon Brown said
"I know from my recent visits to Afghanistan and Iraq how highly Des Browne is regarded.
Well my Son in Afghanistan tells me that is true. They regard him as a complete twat.
The Des Browne debacle is just the latest in a whole series of events which can be summarised as follows: this government is on the skids. They know it, and we know it. They are just going through the motions now. It has reached the stage where everything they touch turns to dust.
Serves them right. They lived by spin and they will die by their own hand. As ye sow, so shall ye reap.
Des Browne is a typical Scottish Labour politician - a lawyer and homourless to boot. God help us if they all decide to 'come on home' after independence.
jess the dog - you should be a script consultant on 'the thick of it'..
Auntie Flo. You suggest that "hormonally vacuous governments of 80-90 years olds who'd sleep slumped on their ministerial desks all day and leave us all alone are the ideal."
I tend to agree, but I think you would have to dress the idea up a bit if it was to be a vote winner.
My own view is that Desperate Des has done just enough to squeak through the last days of Blair's reign - he took responsibility, mumbled a vague 'apology' and now Prince William has ridden to his rescue.
My yardstick for these things is old Blunkett. One disaster didn't finish him off, but when a second hoved into view, the game was up.
Even Byers took several weeks to dislodge. Tessa Jowell survived, even if at the 'expense' of her 'marriage'..
Rather as with the Boris affair and Portsmouth, timing is everything and I think he has just squeaked back in to the dorm before the door's closed for the night.
It has nothing to do with the House Iain. Des's future career depends on Blair and Browne and since the sidelining of Ge-oaf Hoon he has been the dirty work boy of choice.
There is an anecdote about Des amidst this reply to a Comment if Free piece HERE.
Er, Brown not Browne, sorry.
heres a scary thought if des and bliar and the gang are lawyers would you want them defending you? bliars idea of negotiation/plea bargain would be to have you jailed,tell the judge you beat your kids then bankrupt you with a bill that covers his mortgage.If these are the best we have then we are screwed.
you wait ages for a 'chris paul' post - and then three come at once !!!
Most of the defence secretaries chosen by Labour have been crap. If I didn't know better, I'd think the socialists were trying to undermine the military, who broadly don't vote for them and who uphold values like duty, patriotism, honour and discipline that NuLab has been sabotaging for 15 years. I can't imagine NuLab being that ruthless, sneaky or underhand, can you?
Nick Robinson's blog savaging the SNP and Salmond (dubbing the SNP Manifesto a menswear catalogue) states:
"Out of the window we hacks could just see the home of Defence Secretary Des Browne, who must be wondering whether he'll soon have rather more time to spend there."
Auntie Flo'
"Dissed"? "Fessed up"?! You appear to be getting a bit Lady Sovereign in your old age, Iain.
On a related note, the Observer claims to have seen an instruction issued by the Armed Forces that attempts to suppress stories of substandard medical care for the wounded - such as the soldier left to lie in sheets soaked with excrement.
"An internal 'defence instruction' seen by The Observer states that where wounded soldiers 'discuss their own individual cases with visitors, it is the visitor's responsibility to ensure that such discussions remain confidential. Under no circumstances may visitors repeat or discuss any clinical details they obtain during the visit'.
The three-page memo, from the central defence medical headquarters, makes it clear the rules apply both to family and friends and to official visitors, including MPs and military officers."
This ludicrous idea - like many of late - has backfired spectacularly. It will be universally flouted and there is no way that it could be enforced, other than threatening the withdrawl of visiting rights. I'd like to see how that one plays in the press.
The unofficial voice of the Armed Forces, the Army Rumour Service website, has poured scorn on the idea. If anything, this will prompt more leaks to the media!
http://www.arrse.co.uk/cpgn2/Forums/viewforum/f=3.html
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