Top Military Figures Slam Government On Treatment Of Forces

The Defence Secretary Des Browne has today hit back at criticism by former defence chiefs, saying morale among serving soldiers is "as high as it could be".

Mr Browne said he had not heard those criticisms from serving soldiers and he was happy to be judged on his record.

"Tell me what it is that a secretary of state for defence should be doing, that I am not doing... This is not an issue that has ever been raised with me by any serving soldier when I have been in an operational theatre."

He said serving chiefs of staff had "other views" and added: "I'm not that long back from Iraq ... I found the morale of our troops in the operating base in Basra is as high as it could be."

The rebuke follows a direct attack on the other 'Brown' - the PM, Gordon Brown - who was yesterday firmly in the sights of some of the country's most senior military figures.

No less than five former Chiefs of the Defence Staff - all now members of the House of Lords - have criticised the way the PM and the Government is treating the armed forces.

They have even accused Mr Brown of seriously endangering the lives of service personnel because of a lack of money.

Admiral Lord Boyce issued a grim warning of "blood on the floor" of the MoD because of a "desperate funding situation".

He told a Lords defence debate: "The smoke and mirrors work of the Government and, in particular the Treasury, actually means that the core defence programme has had no effective budget rise at all.

"If we were actually to cut to the truth, we would find it was actually negative - especially if one subtracts the £550 million to be spent on the slum accommodation that should have been replaced years ago."

He added: "And this negative budget is why if you go to the Ministry of Defence today you will find blood on the floor as the defence programme is slashed to meet the desperate funding situation."

"We are seriously endangering our people because of the lack of money being given to equip, train and properly support those in the second line preparing to rotate to the frontline."

General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank launched a direct attack on Mr Brown in his former role as Chancellor.

Lord Guthrie said: "He was the most unsympathetic Chancellor of the Exchequer, as far as defence was concerned, and was the only senior Cabinet Minister who avoided coming to the Ministry of Defence to be briefed by our staff about our problems."

Marshal of the RAF Lord Craig of Radley accused the Government of breaking the military covenant, demanding: "Is it not immoral to commit forces that are underprepared and ill-equipped for their task?"

Field Marshal Lord Bramall said: "The Army is just not large enough to the tune of several thousand men.

"The Government must initiate a surge in what it spends on the armed forces. If there is no surge at all, the situation will get infinitely worse."

Field Marshal Lord Inge said: "The three fighting services are about people. They are a priceless asset."

Tory peer, Lord Astor of Hever said: "The bleak reality is of an Army at the end of its tether with troops feeling devalued, angry and suffering from Iraq fatigue.

"We are sending soldiers out to Afghanistan to fight pretty much 24 hours-a-day and then they come back to what has been described as 'disgraceful housing'. How can one sustain an Army in that way?

"The Government is willing and ready to risk more on bailing out a financially inept bank, Northern Rock, than is spent on the entire defence budget."

Veterans' Minister, Derek Twigg, however, denied the claims. He responded: "When I go and talk to our armed force personnel they say clearly to me the morale is high, they're doing a job that they're proud of doing - and we'll continue to give them that support.

"We'll always look of course at how we can improve it further, and we'll continue to do that."

(BMcC)