A disadvanatge of few of our politicians having served in the armed forces is their excessive deference to those who have. To a certain extent this is understandable, as the consequences of political failure at the MoD can be that much more severe than in other areas of public policy.

This perhaps partly explains why David Cameron’s Tories may have been conspiring to bring General Dannatt onto the Tory benches in the House of Lords. A few days ago Sky News’s Jon Craig reported a senior Tory MP telling him “between you and me, he has been advising us for years”. This MP "wasn't at all surprised" when he heard of Dannatt's new role. "There has been talk at Westminster for some time that he might become a defence minister in the House of Lords if the Tories win the election next year."

Now Dannatt is denying there was a “long-term plot” to install him in the House of Lords as a Tory peer, though this doesn’t contradict the possiblity of him having been a secret advisor to Cameron’s team. As this blog highlights, traditionally, when ex-service chiefs ascend to the Lords, they become cross-benchers so as to stay above party politics. It is not a good thing for service chiefs to be considered potential recruits for political parties, and has the potential to undermine the advice they give.

The November issue of Total Politics features interviews with all three main parties’ defence spokesmen.

Photo: Getty Images)