The Tories need to talk

Liam Fox has certainly given the Tories something to talk about as they gather for the party conference this weekend.

Liam Fox has certainly given the Tories something to talk about as they gather for the party conference this weekend. Everything that he wrote in his leaked letter to David Cameron is true: the Conservatives in opposition promised to be tough on defence; in government, however, they propose to degrade Britain’s military to the extent that it would be unable to repeat successful operations such as the one carried out in Sierra Leone. This government is determined at all costs to protect the NHS budget and spend more (borrowed) money on overseas aid — while the military’s budget is to be cut to pieces.

The Defence Secretary is understandably furious at the leak, which makes him look manipulative and underhand. Yet his letter does offer an intriguing glimpse of the tensions within the Conservative party.