How important is the Ministry of Defence?
How important is the Ministry of Defence? Not, according to Fraser, important enough to this government to appoint a Secretary of State who has any great interest in Defence issues. This is fairly remarkable. You might have thought – and the MoD’s particular problems might have persuaded you – that defence would be an issue demanding a specialist but that reckons without the managerial habits of modern politics. This is not a criticism of Philip Hammond. He will doubtless be, as they say, a “safe pair of hands” at the MoD. Nevertheless, while procurement issues and budget-management are a large part of the MoD’s future they are not the only