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  • Trident Renewal Arguement

    BBC News - Trident costs must come from MoD budget, Osborne says

    Whitehall was in a furore today as the Ministry of Defence went head to head with Treasury. Both Departments staff were sent scurrying for support to the FCO (Foreign Office). Since the Treasury does not believe the MoD estimates of potential threat levels my informant tells me that the FCO advised 'an independant review' - normal FCO language for 'not getting involved'. It is my undestanding that FCO opinion favour the MoD view but that Minister seeks a comprimise. The matter is expected to come to a head at Cabinet on Monday when Chancellor has returned from his 'Indian Summer' with the PM. Reading between the lines at close of play today has the MoD has the upper hand and rumours circulate that Clegg will support the MoD. The Chancellor may need check his words in future before trying to play Dr.Fox with a Doctorate perhaps in Cunning from Cambridge?

    I am not involved but hear alot.

  • #2
    i'm not convinced at all - Cameron's loyalty is to Osbourne, not Fox, not only are Casmeron and Osbourne genuinely close friends, they are politically close, and, quite simply, Osbourne can't lose a public battle if he is to remain chancellor, and Cameron can't afford to lose his chancellor.

    Fox is a very capable man, but he isn't part of Camerons 'set', he's got some political views Cameron doesn't like, and Cameron could live without him.

    no Lib Dem in the govt is going to go to bat in defence of Trident2 - and Osbourne winning this argument means Trident2 is much less likely to happen - no other department is going to support the MOD on this issue bevause it will mean that their budgets will be sqeezed to allow the Treasury to pay for T2.

    for supporters of T2 their is one upside of Osbourne winning - it means that it will be the job of the CDS to decide which is more important: T2 or conventional systems like CVF/JSF, Chinook/Merlin fleet, Tornado GR4 and Typhoon, as well as a significant Land force with expeditionary capability. and the new CDS (with four more years in post) has publicly said that he can live without T2 (and indeed Trident itself) in order to pay for what he believes he really needs.

    now then, the Conservative PM who believes he'll win an election after scrapping the UK's nuclear deterent hasn't been born yet - so faced with a CDS who will say to his face - and the papers - that he has decided that T2 is a lesser priority than CVF/JSF etc, Cameron will have little choice but to 'persuade' Osbourne find some extra cash to enable CDS to have what he needs, and what the politicians want...

    don't be surprised if Fox however does't survive.
    before criticizing someone, walk a mile in their shoes.................... then when you do criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

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