Ex-Army chief 'offered Tory role'


Gen Dannatt was involved in a public dispute about troop numbers

Former Army chief Gen Sir Richard Dannatt is to become a defence adviser to the Tories, the BBC has learned. Gen Dannatt, who called for better equipment for troops in Afghanistan when he was in post, is expected to be given a seat in the House of Lords.
Earlier he complained he had been smeared by the government for speaking out about resources.
But Labour peer Lord Foulkes said it had been "unprecedented" for a serving officer to speak out publicly.
Gen Dannatt told the BBC he would consider taking up some sort of post in a Tory government but had not been "publicly" approached for such a role.
'Wait and see'
Asked by a caller on BBC 5 Live's Victoria Derbyshire programme if he would consider a future role advising a Tory government, he replied: "You are asking the question on a theoretical basis and the answer is theoretically yes."
He added: "If someone in a future life wants me to do something else then let them ask the question and I will give them an answer."
When Conservative leader David Cameron was asked whether there was potentially place for Gen Dannatt in a future cabinet, he told the BBC to "wait and see".

He's been a great public servant and I think he's got more to give


David Cameron on Sir Richard Dannatt



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He said: "I've spoken to him on previous occasions, as well as recently, about his views about how we improve our armed services ... I think he's a man of great talent and ability, he's been a great public servant and I think he's got more to give."
But reports that the general may become a junior defence minister in a future Tory government have been played down.
It appears senior Conservatives were not aware of the offer as shadow home secretary Chris Grayling, who misheard the question, told the BBC he hoped the move was not a "political gimmick".
Mr Grayling thought it was Gordon Brown who had offered Gen Dannatt a role and said the PM had recruited too many non-politicians for PR reasons.
He later said it was "really good news" for the Conservatives.
Mr Brown recruited a number of experts from outside politics, including former Foreign Office minister Lord Malloch-Brown and former trade minister Lord Digby Jones, most of whom have since quit the government.
'Blurs the line'
Asked about the issue later, shadow justice secretary Dominic Grieve said it would be "an enormous plus" for the Tories to call on a man of Gen Dannatt's experience and distinguished service.
But the Lib Dems said it showed there was "no real difference between Labour and the Tories when it comes to gimmicks rather than solutions".

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Labour's former defence minister Doug Henderson told the BBC's World at One that Admiral West - one of the independent experts recruited to the prime minister's "government of all the talents" - had been careful to "stay out of politics for a period of time" after stepping down as head of the Navy.
He said: "There is nothing of course to stop him [Gen Dannatt] being an adviser to the Conservatives though the normal protocol is for senior military officers who retire to have a period of purdah for some time before they start making any political comments of any kind."
Stepping into a political role "so quickly ... blurs the line between political decisions and military decisions".
Meanwhile, there are reports that the Army wants an extra 1,000 soldiers for the Afghan campaign.
'Too expensive'
The Cabinet sub-committee dealing with Afghanistan is to discuss how the mission is resourced on Thursday - but no decision on troop levels is thought to be imminent, a No 10 spokesman said.
Asked about it during an interview, Gen Dannatt said: "No 10 calls the shots. The question has to be asked: 'Does the prime minister want to deploy 9,800 troops?"
He admitted making mistakes when trying to persuade the prime minister to boost troop numbers in Helmand province and said he was "very disappointed" PM Gordon Brown refused to increase the level to 9,800.
"It was going to be too expensive, simple as that," he said.
"I think he [Mr Brown] had to put it in the context of the wider financial meltdown over the last 12 months, I think the effect on this country's finances, and our own economy."
Downing Street has denied refusing a request from the military for 1,800 extra personnel.
The debate about troop numbers led to claims that Labour figures were seeking to smear senior Army officers.
The Labour peer, Lord Foulkes, asked parliamentary questions in August about Gen Dannatt's expense claims and a number of Freedom of Information requests were made about entertaining costs at his official London residence.
Gen Dannatt told BBC Radio 5live: "I think it's really sad if you've lost the argument you stop talking about the issues and start going for the people. I mean that's not how good governments should be run.
"I think we should just move on and government by smear, politics by smear - we just don't need that."
But Lord Foulkes said while Gen Dannatt had been free to talk about troop numbers in private it was "completely unprecedented to make political statements whilst you are a serving officer".
He questioned how far the general's links with the Conservatives went back.




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