Defending Geoff Hoon
Backword Dave supports Annabelle Ewing's attack on the 'backstabbing coward' Geoff Hoon, over the plan to merge six Scottish regiments.Now we all know it's great fun having a go at Geoff Hoon, and indeed he has one of those faces that makes it feel even more fun than normal. But his plans actually have a lot of merit. In any other nationalised industry having 15% of your staff based in Scotland would seem like ridiculous overmanning, particularly when you are finding it hard to recruit. There's a lot of misplaced sentimentality -- the Telegraph speaks of 'famous' regiments, of which I, and three people of varying ages I've asked, couldn't name a single one with the exception of the Black Watch, for obvious reasons.
Outside of Scotland the reforms appear designed to make a more efficient and effective Army. The Telegraph, in some excellent reporting, skewers many of the criticism, particularly on the impact of scrapping the 'arms plot' will have on recruitment (it is likely to improve it). Military bands are being cut from 30 to 24, which seems rather modest. Can't the private sector perform this function better?
posted by Matthew @ 12/17/2004 09:59:00 AM
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