Throughout this week I'm inviting CentreRight contributors to each briefly identify one big reason why Labour deserve to be voted out of office.
I'll start with Labour's record with regard to our armed forces. The defence of the Realm is the first duty of any government but Labour have not provided our servicemen with the quality of support that they deserve. Money meant for procuring new hardware hasn't been spent well, too many warnings about inadequate equipment have been ignored and with deadly consequences, servicemen's families have had to put up with substandard housing and medical services.
Throughout the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq our troops have fought as bravely as previous generations but they have been poorly directed. In southern Iraq, Britain withdrew from Basra before the job was done, in Afghanistan the mission has never been clearly defined.
Brown allowed Blair to send troops to Iraq but he never provided proper funding. He sent Britain to war on a peacetime budget. The world has changed considerably since Labour came to office but there has been no strategic review of defence priorities to reflect upon the new global situation.
Failure on defence would be my top reason for Labour to go.
