When will Brown do the right thing on constitutional reform and defence?

The Government finally released the funds to pay for helicopters and equipment so urgently needed in Afghanistan, but not without reluctance from Gordon Brown who guillotined defence spending according to evidence from The Chilcot Enquiry, and in a letter he wrote to Tony Blair revealed in the Times today purposely diverted funds away from those helicopters that the army were begging for to be successful in Afghanistan.

He then proceeded to mislead the house in Prime Ministers Questions. In response to David Cameron bringing up the claims from Chilcot he reverted into the mentality of opposition – albeit one which can’t get it’s facts right. Brown claimed that the Coonservative party planned cut defence spending at the 2005 election, however as Nicolas Soames set the record straight in a speech to the RUSI.

‘There has been a great deal of misinformation from the Labour Party about Conservative defence expenditure plans and I am grateful for this opportunity to put the record straight. My party is committed to spending £2.7 billion in cash more than the present government on frontline defence.

He then proceeded to outline how a Conservative government would reallocate resouces to meet the demands of our commitments abroad.

‘The James Review has identified an additional £1.6 billion of efficiency savings over and above those identified in the Gershon Review and the Shadow Chancellor has agreed to reallocate a further £1.1 billion to defence from James Review savings in other departments’

In contrast, Brown has chosen to sound off about constitutional reform again. (As if they haven’t had a chance to do that for the last twelve years) When they start tinkering with the constitution then you know they’ve really got nothing valuable to say on real-life issues that actually matter to people. The move towards the alternative vote is merely one of party strategy, bring in AV, it’ll make it impossible for Lib Dems to even *mention* voting reform for 20 years, killing off all chance of serious reform that some in the Westminster village seek, and taking back Liberal Democrat votes from seats where Labour are under threat. In a nearby constituency of mine, the Lib Dems are biting at the heels of the sitting MP, will this so called ‘reform’ be enough to lure those floating voters back and reaffirm the Labour party hold on the North East?

If Gordon Brown was serious about reform he would be listening to the calls of the speaker John Bercow and give power back to the commons, especially to select committees. One suggestion in a report surrounding defence by the CPS is to follow the USA’s lead in accountability.

“In the US, when a +programme breaches its cost ceilings, the Department of Defense must testify before Congress. A similar procedure should be adopted here by the Defence Select Committee.”

Anyone who takes a gander of Private Eye will be aware of the cosy arrangements with the big contractors that this government have fostered and they must cease futhurmore this government has talked a lot about it’s pro-european credentials but wouldn’t allow EADS to do things the ‘best’ way but the way that ensures jobs and maintenance of expertise in member state so it becomes more needlessly complicated and drags on.

Just like this government it seems.