Brown's betrayal of soldier heroes

The Prime Minister's tactics backfired spectacularly – and deservedly so. For, while Mr Brown said that defence spending has increased on his watch, a claim which runs contrary to the figures in his own

government's Pre-Budget Report, more damning evidence about his record was being laid bare at the Chilcot Inquiry.

No wonder Mr Brown was reluctant to submit himself to the inquiry before the election – it promises to be a humiliating experience following the assertions made by former defence chiefs (who all threatened to resign en masse) and respected civil servants like Sir Kevin Tebbit, the Ministry of Defence's former permanent secretary.

Sir Kevin has revealed how he had to cut projects for helicopters, warships and Nimrod spy planes after Mr Brown "guillotined" his budget six months after the Iraq invasion. It reinforced remarks made by the former chief of the defence staff who described Mr Brown as "the most unsympathetic Chancellor as far as defence was concerned".

Typically, Bob Ainsworth, the Defence Secretary, was left to pick up the pieces and reveal the new discussion document – Mr Brown had rushed out of the Commons yesterday after his battering at PMQs, presumably to return to the relative sanctuary of his Downing Street bunker.

Mr Ainsworth is right. A new strategy is required – the Cold War is consigned to history and Britain should not "defend itself from the goal line". However, it cannot happen until two facts are agreed – the country's military objectives in an uncertain world and the level of funding that will be available.

Only then can a plan be formulated. Yet, even if such a strategy is prepared, it will be worthless if a government chooses to invade a country like Iraq on a peacetime budget, and without giving military commanders sufficient time to prepare.

Mr Brown can reel off as many figures as he likes, but he has been

shown to be no friend of the Armed Forces who, frankly, deserve better than a leader who uses their heroism to mask his political and economic duplicity.