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1. General Norman Arthur Better Together Campaigner for the Military

a. Norman’s family are extremely well connected in the South East of Scotland and enjoy a long and distinguished tradition of military service. He was destined, from birth to take up a position with a Scottish cavalry regiment and after boarding School at Eton he went on to attend Sandhurst Military Academy, from where he was first commissioned into the Royal Scots Greys. Members of his family also served with The Royal Company of Archers, a Scottish ceremonial unit that serves as the Sovereign’s Bodyguard in Scotland, a role it has performed since 1822 and the reign of King George IV, when the company provided a personal bodyguard to the King on his visit to Scotland. He had a long and distinguished military career and achieved the high military rank and other prestigious appointments expected of him.

b. He writes beautifully and possesses a wide and persuasive vocabulary. He is, as is the case with elderly gentlemen of means a bit of a romantic who sees the UK through the perspective of his privileged and sheltered upbringing in England. If he were ever wounded he would bleed, “red white and blue”. It follows therefore that he is entirely blinkered when, if ever, the subject of Scottish Independence is raised in his presence.

2. An extract from a letter he circulated to persons of influence seeking financial support for the, “Better Together” campaign

a. We need instead to debate the real prospect of fundamental and permanent change to the constitution of a great and ancient kingdom. The decision we come to may be the most important of our lives together. My thoughts focus on the history and greatness of the United Kingdom, and on its standing among the nations. Britain s strength comes from the contributions of all four of our own family of nations, so that the UK s gifts to world civilization are totally and indivisibly shared among us. This Union, which is Britain, is as old and true a parliamentary democracy as any in the world, perhaps the oldest. It is the prime example of a union of democracies, so closely woven that it may be called a family. How can we even consider splitting so great and long matured a state? What is the worth of divisive nationalism beside it? Our British voice is heard throughout the world, whether speaking from the heart of the 53 nations of the Commonwealth, as a trusted and reliable member of Nato and the western nuclear powers or just as a veteran nation with a rich, varied and stable 300 year history. Consider what Britain has given to the world in those years, in engineering, science, farming, the arts and music, medicine, literature, and, yes, in the practice of the Christian faith. We are both diverse and united, with Scotland giving much and receiving much.

b. There you are. There is absolutely no point in trying to persuade Norman to a different view. At the same juncture his perceptions are so right wing his opinions and/or pleas for a continued support of the Act of Union should be ignored.

3. COMMENT: Don’t throw away a shared history to be proud of in independence referendum

1. Lord West, Once the UK’s Top Sailor – Switched to politics and joined Gordon Browns government- Not long after he became a life peer and took his seat in the House of Lords. Prone to shooting himself in the foot his political career was short lived. He is a Labour Party member and his support of Better Together is not unexpected although his criticism of proposals for the defence forces of an independent Scotland should be balanced against his comments about the UK’s present set-up. A man of many coats is our Alan.

2. .In 2006 Gordon Brown chose a “government of all the talents”, he selected a new anti-terror chief with a heroic military background, a formidable intellect and a knowledge of the vagaries of Westminster. But within months the Prime Minister found, to his embarrassment, that Admiral Lord West of Spithead also had a talent for courting controversy.

3. In 2007 He said in a radio interview he was not, “totally convinced” of the need to hold terror suspects for 42 days. At the time Labour was pushing for police to be given powers to detain such suspects for six weeks. But two hours later, after meeting then prime minister Gordon Brown, Lord West reversed his opinion saying he was “convinced” of the requirement for such a power. He explained the switch (under 2 hours) by saying, “Being a simple sailor, not a politician, maybe I didn’t choose my words well.”

4. He was forced to deny extraordinary claims that he was having an affair with “the brunette one” from 1970s group Abba, after it emerged they had been friends for the past year or so. Amid gathering rumors, high level sources sought to divert attention by revealing that Lord West had admitted, “some years ago” to an infidelity during a routine vetting procedure – but emphatically not with the Abba star.

5. Labour was forced to apologize after former security minister Lord West branded Denmark and Belgium second-rate countries. He said the UK was still a first-rate military power, “not like bloody Denmark or Belgium”. His comments came as Labour delivered the findings of a 10-month review into defence procurement, aimed at getting better value for money from buying equipment for the UK’s armed forces.

6. Speaking in a question and answer session with 100 journalists and guests from the defence industry at Labour headquarters in central London, He said: “This business of a second-tier power – we are probably, depending on what figures you use, the fifth or sixth wealthiest nation in the world. “We have the largest percentage of our GDP on exports, apart from the tiny countries around the world, we run world shipping from the UK, we are the largest European navy. “We are a permanent member of the (United Nations) Security Council and I think that gives us certain clout and certain ability. “These mean we are not a second-tier power. We are not bloody Denmark or Belgium, and if we try to become that, I think we would be worse-off as a result. “I get slightly annoyed at this sort of statement.”

7. Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy and shadow minister Michael Dugher sat next to the peer, as he unleashed his rant. Mr Murphy looked embarrassed before saying: “Thanks Alan, and obviously for any friends from Belgium or Denmark, apologies. Or should I say former friends from Belgium or Denmark?”

8. Defence Secretary Liam Fox hailed the nations’ contribution both to the Afghan war and the conflict in Libya. He said, “I’m appalled to hear Labour’s Lord West insulting Denmark and Belgium, both of whom have been operating alongside British forces in Libya. “Forty-two Danes have lost their lives fighting alongside us in Helmand. “Lord West’s remarks are both stupid and insensitive.”

9. “Defence cuts imperil our proud nation”, warned Lord West. “Have we really decided that this great maritime nation of ours only needs 13 frigates”. “Has there been any realistic assumption of the requirement of the number of frigates – and I’m talking frigates not destroyers and other things – or is the number 13 purely based on an arbitrary cost figure? “In the final analysis, the defence of the nation is the top priority for any nation of whatever hue and I do believe we are standing into danger.”

10. Admiral Lord West of Spithead, a former first sea lord, said the country is “sailing into danger” because the Government is not planning to build enough ships. The Labour peer and former security minister under Gordon Brown said Britain’s proud naval tradition was at risk from bureaucratic and political neglect.

11. Friends say that Lord West is a bon viveur, fond of good wine, good food and good chat. Must have had a few at the time he lost top secret documents and was court marshaled earlier in his career.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/denmark/8782283/Labour-apologises-after-peer-insults-bloody-Denmark.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1575847/Admiral-Lord-Wests-son-in-drug-deal-arrest.html
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2011/sep/22/admiral-lord-west-diplomatic-blunder
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1572777/Admiral-West-denies-affair-with-Abba-singer.html
http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/444768/Under-fire-MoD-risking-all-with-misguided-Army-cuts
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/446394/Lord-West-warns-defence-cuts-are-dangerous-and-Royal-Navy-doesn-t-have-enough-ships
http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/sea-lord-scathing-naval-cuts/story-21206775-detail/story.html

Major General Mark Strudwick CBE, former Aide-de-Camp to the Queen

Was, in his last post in the Army. General Officer Commanding the Army in Scotland and Her Majesty’s Governor of Edinburgh Castle. He is a Better Together Supporter. In retirement he became head of the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust. (Classic case of a company man).

In the 1990s, Strudwick was Director of Infantry, and responsible for 12,000 officers at the time of the Army’s “options for change”. “We had to make 2850 officers redundant, that was a very difficult time.” Then in 2004 as a member of the council of Scottish colonels, Strudwick was handed the job of approving and publicly defending the politically-explosive creation of a single Scottish regiment, which also involved the merger of his own Royal Scots with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers.

“We had to come up with a solution, we couldn’t just go back to Whitehall (MoD) without one, they would have just imposed it. Inevitably it was enormously painful, because this is the ultimate change.”

He reflects: “What people find hard to accept is that the commitment and determination of our soldiers is not reflected in the way the Treasury is constantly driving down the costs, and the balance between having the right manpower and procurement – which always costs too much and takes too long.”

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/politics/veterans-groups-offer-debate-views-1.577915

General Loudon – Governor of Edinburgh Castle & Better Together supporter – Adds his signature Supporting No in the Referendum

1. General Euan Loudon Keeps Proposed Changes From Soldiers

a. 2003-2005. A series of discussions, (at the highest level) were conducted within the Scottish Regimental heirarchy pertaining to major organisational change, at the time Scottish soldiers were deployed to the war in Iraq and other operational areas. Although there was some dissemination of information at senior levels, this did not include junior ranks in case they became upset.

2. A concerned ex-soldier – Major (retd) Michael Hamilton, wrote to the Scottish Herald- Opening up the Debate to a wider Audience- He was not popular

a. His letter. August 2005. Soldiers are being kept ignorant of Army changes – General Euan Loudon says that sniping from the sidelines dispirits the serving community. So what is General Loudon really up to? Sounding off about tartan, cap badges and the retired Army community. Both expect us to follow the scent of their red herring. The main issues are not cap badges and tartans, important symbols though these are.

b. Soldiers read the Scottish tabloids, not the Scottish broadsheets in which almost all the articles and letters on the changes have been published. If General Loudon had visited the Naafi and local shops in the Falklands (company group of the KOSB), in Colinton near Dreghorn Barracks in Edinburgh (Royal Scots) , Warminster (Black Watch), Canterbury (The Highlanders), Cyprus (RHF) and Omagh (KOSB) he would know that Scottish broadsheets are not on sale. We have asked men and their families serving there. Recently I asked the newsagent in Colinton how many Jocks bought the Scottish broadsheets. He scornfully said, “You must be an officer. They read the tabloids.”

c. In all Scottish regiments, there is widespread ignorance of the reform proposals. You can meet uniformed Jocks from the Royal Scots in the streets here in Edinburgh. They recently told me, “We are all right, the KOSB are amalgamating with us – we are not amalgamating with them, ” revealing a complete failure to appreciate what is really going on. Questioned about briefings on the changes from officers, they look puzzled and say no one has briefed them. Told that they would soon be wearing the kilt and a different cap badge they laughed and told me to stop taking the mickey.

d. The first main issue is that all ranks are forbidden to speak to the media and even to their own families about the proposed reforms. So let us now challenge the ministers of defence and the Army Board to open the ranks of the six affected Scottish battalions to the media with a guarantee of no victimization and the right to speak with back to the camera with voice disguised. Let them speak the truth. If the majority want their regiments to be abolished, the campaigners will respect their freely expressed wishes and fall silent. We do not fear free speech or the truth. We put no spin on anything. We do not need to.

e. The second main issue is that instead of moving in regimental communities in which wives travel with their friends, and children move en bloc from school to school secure in whole classes, the Scottish infantry and their families will be moved just as frequently but in penny packets from battalion to battalion thus disrupting military teams and the social fabric of whole regimental communities.

f. The Regiments of Foot Guards and the Parachute Regiment have a rather more preferential deal. The Guards are not being required to move from regiment to regiment, and the Parachute Regiment is now garrisoned in Colchester, so that a posting from one battalion to another involves no move of house and school. Jobs for wives are easy to come by in these regiments: try getting a job for your wife in Omagh or Fallingbostel.

g. The third main issue is that the Scottish regiments carry a DISPROPORTIONATE share of operational duties and casualties. Details of deployments and overstretch were published in The Herald on 18 August 2005. Statistics of British Army personnel killed and injured are published on the internet each year, showing deaths by regiment and corps.

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/soldiers-kept-ignorant-of-army-changes-1.45143

1. Military Veterans on both sides of the referendum debate are being lined up to issue a plea for voters to back their campaigns. Those voting No:

a. More than 400 former servicemen and women have signed a statement arguing that Scotland will be stronger and more secure as part of the United Kingdom.

b. Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: ” Britain’s Armed Forces help make this world a safer place. “We are stronger and safer together. These veterans know it and will be voting to keep Scotland secure as part of the United Kingdom on Thursday. I urge undecided voters to listen to their words and back a No vote too.”

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/16/military-veterans-scottish-referendum-independence

2. Opening Narrative

Confusing Confusing. One of the Signatories, (according to the Telegraph is Major General Andrew McKay (Retd). But his views of the existing Westminster / Whitehall Set-up is well reported. He resigned his command in protest at the level of incompetence placing our armed forces in harms way, ill trained, poorly equipped and operationally directed by incompetent Westminster politicians from London, (5000 miles distant). His story follows.

3. 03 Jan 2010 Ministry of Defence (MOD) is, “institutionally incapable” of succeeding in Afghanistan – Major General Andrew Mackay, former commander of Britain’s military operation in Helmand province:

a. Major-General Andrew MacKay said the MoD had failed to adapt to 21st Century wars, instead issuing messages from London that often had “no relevance at ground level”. He said the British Army had, “consistently failed” to understand the motivations of local Afghans and called for a fresh “hearts and minds” strategy focusing on the local culture and economy.

b. His critique, written in a paper published by the Defence Academy, Britain’s armed forces university, comes four months after he resigned his position as head of the British Army in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Northern England in frustration at a lack of equipment and resources and the direction of the Afghan war.

c. The 40-page report was co-authored by Steve Tatham, a senior commander in the Royal Navy. The pair said the work is the product of two years’ experience on the ground in the battle against the Taliban.

d. “From the top of the Mod through to the army’s staff colleges, the structures, despite the best will in the world, are institutionally incapable of keeping pace with rapid change and the associated willingness to adapt – and quickly – at the same time,” the paper concluded.

e. The MoD was failing to keep pace with wars fought “in the information age”, when every assault is open to immediate scrutiny, and careers in the army are built on “budgetary and management competence”. Messages from Whitehall officials were branded by the report “a diluted and distant memory” by the time they reached the front line.

f. An MoD spokesman said: “While the MoD will consider the findings of all its reports, they do not represent the views of the MoD or wider government.”

http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/politics/veterans-groups-offer-debate-views-1.577915

4. Major-General Andrew Mackay – His Shock Resignation and the Reasons behind It

a. Major-General Andrew Mackay, a General who led the Afghanistan campaign has resigned over his disillusion in the direction of the Government’s strategy. Major Gen Mackay, 52, who was the architect of the military’s new counter insurgency doctrine, is said to have told colleagues of his anger at the lack of resources being put into the battle. He is also said to be “disillusioned” over the failure of the Foreign Office and Department for International Development in fulfilling their obligations in Afghanistan.

b. The resignation came as a significant blow to the Government and the Army as Major Gen Mackay, who led a brigade in Helmand, was seen as a leading proponent for readjusting Britain’s counter-insurgency plan that has foundered during three years of fighting in Helmand. He is the most senior officer to leave the Army as a result of disquiet over the direction of the campaign. Other high-profile resignations have included Brig Ed Butler and Col Stuart Tootal who have both later derided shortcomings in resources for Helmand.

c. Major Gen Mackay’s time as the Brigadier in charge of 52 Brigade in Helmand over the winter of 2007 was seen as an invigorating shake-up of the direction of the campaign and a template for future commanders. Upon arriving in Afghanistan, he was said to have been shocked that senior officers were “making it up as we go along”.

d. He realised that the British had to fully engage with the civilian population and led from the front in the re-taking of the Taliban held town of Musa Qala, at one point coming under direct fire from the enemy. He was awarded the CBE for his efforts. In a secret memo published in the book, “Operation Snakebite” by Stephen Grey Major Gen Mackay said much of the equipment was “tired, limited and failing regularly”.

e. In the document to Whitehall he described a “grave crisis” over equipment. Scimitar tanks could not go into reverse unless their engines were restarted and Vector vehicles were out of action because “the wheels just kept falling off, literally” and only one fifth of machine guns were working.

f. Major Nick Haston, who was Major Gen Mackay’s deputy chief of staff, resigned from the Army earlier this year in protest at bureaucratic incompetence. He said troops had been so short of vital equipment that his staff bought spares on the internet. “I would say that some of the people that procure [equipment] in our Ministry of Defence haven’t a clue,” he said.

g. Major Gen Mackay also talked about failure coming from the “top down” and that other Government agencies were not doing their part. The ‘bottom up’ approach, of soldier slogging it out in pitched battles with the Taliban, was only buying breathing space. Without reconstruction stepping in behind there was little chance of a long term solution.

h. The book said the “central tenets of counter insurgency doctrine” were failing. Senior military commanders are currently fighting for extra troops in Helmand and admit that they are suffering greater casualties as a result of not having enough soldiers on the ground. Downing Street is currently considering sending an extra battlegroup to Helmand of up to 1,000 men bringing the total to 10,000 but is said to be apprehensive about public opinion, cost and the potential for more casualties.

i. While the Ministry of Defence insisted that he had gone for “personal reasons” one general expressed “deep shock” at his departure.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/6228725/Afghanistan-general-quits-over-disillusionment-with-government-strategy.html

5. Where is He Now?

a. Major General Mackay now runs a strategic advisory company – Complexas Ltd. – which provides specialist services to the international extractive industries, specifically in Africa. He is also Executive Chairman of IOTA Global(Information Operations Training and Advisory Services), a specialised Information Operations company established by his co-author Commander Steve Tatham. In Aug 2014 Mackay and Tatham collaborated with Professor Jim Derleth to write a new paper on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Africa.