So Sir Gen Haughton And Jeremy Corbyn Clash - On Remembrance Sunday.

[DTCwordfan]

The issue, nuclear defence. The venue, the Andrew Marr show, the transcript of the interview, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/08111503.pdf

Apparently Corbyn is furious and believes senior military should be muzzled.

Is he right? And this must grate with those Labourites who believe in deterrents as to nuclear missiles. How is this going to play out?

My view is that Corbyn is barking.....

[DTCwordfan]

ah the joys of democratic debate' within Labour at the moment, don't make me choke on my edame beans.....

[Khandro]

I fail to see whether the decision to retain the U.K's nuclear deterrent has anything whatsoever to do with 'left' and 'right', it is a matter purely of common sense.
Si vis pacem, para bellum If you want peace, prepare for war.

[vulcan42]

Very true Khandro.

[DTCwordfan]

and, in essence, what Haughton was saying......

[Gromit]

I hate to be pedantic DTC, but at least get his name right. He is General HOughton.

[Gromit]

// The former first sea lord Alan West criticised Houghton for his comments. West agreed that Houghton had been lured into saying things he should not have expressed, saying: “Maybe he strayed a little further than he should have done.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, West said: “We [military figures] tend to say things as we see rather than spinning them or being clever with our words. He was trying to be careful but he got bluffed into saying a little bit more than he should have done.” //

[vulcan42]

I don't think General Houghton had a choice. When a possible (albeit improbable) Prime Minister publicly states he will never use a very important part of this country's defences then somebody, and who better then the chief of staff, has to point out Mr Corbyns mistake. You just do not tell any potential enemy what your intentions are.

[bazwillrun]

so if the clown cor bin Laden ever got into power, how would the deterrent actually work if he makes it clear he wouldnt use it ?...how would it deter ?

We'd be a stting duck a bit like Cor Bin Laden who is a duck....the two biggest dangers facing this country now are....in no particular order Jezza Cor Bin Laden and Adolf Merkel....