Grim landmark: Time to back Britain's troops

By unhappy coincidence, this coming Saturday also marks the second annual Armed Forces Day, a tribute to British troops and a collective act of appreciation for the costly contribution they continue to make towards preserving this nation's freedoms.

Mr Cameron is marking this occasion by urging the public to do much more to support the troops. Indeed, since becoming Prime Minister, he has made all the right noises on this important topic and been prompt in paying a visit to the front line in Afghanistan's Helmand Province. Mr Cameron needs to demonstrate his own support, however, in two rather more tangible ways. First, there is the matter of hard cash. At a time when the Government is being ruthless in making public-sector cuts, what is the future of the defence budget? If the Armed Forces are to have the equipment and back-up they need, then Mr Cameron cannot make Labour's mistake of trying to fight a war on a peacetime budget.

And second, there is the question of commitment. No one wants the troops to risk their lives for any longer than is necessary, but if the Prime Minister wants to rally support for the war effort, he

cannot repeat another error of the Brown administration in giving the impression that he is fixated on securing an exit strategy.

If he truly wants public backing, he must explain fully why the troops are in Afghanistan in the first place, not concentrate solely on when they might be coming home.