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Brown's Afghan pledge questioned MoD denies Afghan vehicles claim
(about 5 hours later)
The Conservatives have questioned Gordon Brown's announcement of 200 new patrol vehicles for Afghanistan, saying numbers may have been cut in half. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has denied claims that a request for 400 new patrol vehicles for troops in Afghanistan has been pared back.
Defence spokesman Liam Fox said the MoD requested 400 replacements for Snatch Land Rovers and he wanted to know this had not been cut "on Treasury orders". Gordon Brown announced plans for 200 new light armoured vehicles, to replace Snatch Land Rovers, on Saturday.
It comes amid an ongoing row over Labour's funding of the military and Mr Brown's recent visit to Afghanistan. The Tories said this was half what had been sought but MoD officials said the original order was for "up to 400" and they anticipated more being provided.
The MoD said the announcement referred to completely new vehicles. It comes amid an ongoing row over Labour's funding of the military.
'Political props''Political props'
The PM promised the new patrol vehicles for British troops, designed to give them better protection against roadside bombs than the existing Snatch, during a visit to Afghanistan on Saturday. The PM promised the new patrol vehicles, designed to give troops better protection against roadside bombs, during a visit to Afghanistan on Saturday.
Mr Fox said he would not take the announcement at face value since the original tender had been for 400 vehicles. The vehicles, further details of which are due to be announced by defence secretary Bob Ainsworth on Tuesday, will be ready next year.
But shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said he would not take the announcement at face value since the original tender - published last year - had been for 400 vehicles.
"We have been waiting for years for replacements to Snatch Land Rovers," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show."We have been waiting for years for replacements to Snatch Land Rovers," he told the BBC's Andrew Marr show.
"What happened to the other 200? Tomorrow in Parliament, I will be tabling questions to find out whether this is yet another cut on Treasury orders." "What happened to the other 200? Tomorrow in Parliament, I will be tabling questions to find out whether this is yet another cut to the equipment on Treasury orders."
The MOD said the vehicles were new and being paid for by the Treasury - through the special reserve set aside for urgent operational requirements - and therefore not "eating into" the defence budget. The then defence secretary John Hutton announced plans for a "new generation" of light armoured patrol vehicles in December 2008 in response to the growing number of soldiers killed while on patrol in Snatch vehicles.
I think the cynical thing to do is to wheel out people like John Major, to repeat his old complaints and criticisms and then to claim that somehow this is being principled Ed Balls, schools secretary If officers come to us and they say that they need more equipment, we will provide the money, we will provide the resources Alistair Darling
The Tories have been critical of Mr Brown's Afghan trip, which came a day after he appeared at the inquiry into the Iraq war and amid continued criticism about government support for defence. The 2009 tender identified a "potential future requirement for up to 400 vehicles to be production ready in 2010 and delivered into service in 2011".
Mr Brown has denied refusing any requests from the military while he was chancellor but former army chiefs have said this is "disingenuous" and overall, the military had been starved of resources. The MoD said the order outlined by Mr Brown was new and would be paid for by the Treasury out of the urgent operational requirement budget.
Mr Fox questioned the timing of Gordon Brown's visit, coming as it did soon after "brushing off" criticism of his support for the military. "We expect initially to buy in the region of 200 vehicles," a spokeswoman said.
"It is quite normal for the prime minister to visit [British troops] but Gordon Brown tends to pick his moments," he said. "These will be world beating British built vehicles and will provide unprecedented levels of protection for their weight class. There can be no clearer demonstration of our commitment to our troops."
Former prime minister Sir John Major has accused Gordon Brown of using British troops as "political props". The Tories were critical of the timing of Mr Brown's Afghan trip, which came a day after he told the Iraq inquiry that he had met every request for resources from the military while he was chancellor.
Former defence chiefs suggested his comments were "disingenuous" while others have said the military has been starved of resources under the Labour government.
Sir John Major has accused Gordon Brown of using British troops as "political props".
"Two years ago he did so on the eve of the election that never was and now he is doing so again on the eve of the election he cannot avoid," he said in a speech on Saturday."Two years ago he did so on the eve of the election that never was and now he is doing so again on the eve of the election he cannot avoid," he said in a speech on Saturday.
"Nine years and far too many fatalities later, the troops - and the families of those who have perished - could be forgiven for believing the prime minister's visit is yet another political stunt.""Nine years and far too many fatalities later, the troops - and the families of those who have perished - could be forgiven for believing the prime minister's visit is yet another political stunt."
'Right move''Right move'
The MoD says Mr Brown's visit had been planned for some time and that he had been to Afghanistan at a similar time in previous years.The MoD says Mr Brown's visit had been planned for some time and that he had been to Afghanistan at a similar time in previous years.
Schools Secretary Ed Balls said it was "right" for Mr Brown to make his visit after rather than before his Iraq evidence. During the trip, he praised the bravery of the 4,000 British troops involved in the opening phase of Operation Moshtarak, designed to push the Taliban out of territory in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.
"I think the cynical thing to do is to wheel out people like John Major, to repeat his old complaints and criticisms and then to claim that somehow this is being principled," he said. Criticism of Mr Brown's support for British troops and the government's record on defence in general was unfair, Chancellor Alistair Darling said.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg told Sky News he backed Mr Brown's visit, arguing that he had a "constitutional duty" to show the UK's "collective sense of gratitude" to British troops for their efforts. "Defence spending is about 10% more than it was in 1997," he told the Politics Show.
During the trip, Mr Brown praised the "bravery, dedication and professionalism" of the 4,000 British troops involved in the opening phase of Operation Moshtarak, designed to push the Taliban out of territory in Helmand Province in the south of the country. "We are absolutely clear, Gordon and now me as chancellor, that with troops deployed in the field, if the officers come to us and they say that they need more equipment, as they have done in relation to the armoured vehicles in Afghanistan yesterday, we will provide the money, we will provide the resources."
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg told Sky News that he backed Mr Brown's visit, arguing that he had a "constitutional duty" to show the UK's "collective sense of gratitude" to British troops for their efforts.