The Ministry of Defence’s -7.5 percent budget settlement is a better deal than it appeared the MoD would get back in the summer. Tim Montgomerie hails it as a triumph for Fox and his full-on campaign against the deeper cuts that the Treasury wanted. But No 10 is keen for it not to been seen like this. They don’t want ministers to think next time round that the way to get a good deal is to kick up a fuss and enlist the papers on your behalf.
There is so much anger with Fox in Downing Street, even those who are usually sympatheticto him are exasperated with him at the moment, that he’ll have a difficult next few months. He’d be well advised to take a leaf out of Iain Duncan-Smith’s book who once he got the agreement he wanted on welfare reform has been happy to spread the credit around.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in