After more than three years as Secretary of State for Defence, Sir Michael Cathel Fallon KCB has resigned amidst allegations about his personal conduct. He admitted his standards “fallen short” of those expected by the UK military.
The full details of his misconduct remain unclear. He apparently was rebuked by journalist, Julia Hartley-Brewer, for putting his hand on her knee at a social function in 2002. She has said she considers the incident trivial and hardly grounds for resignation.
His departure is rather a surprise to everyone, Fallon was seen as a dull, but competent and politically reliable ally of Theresa May. The sexual abuse scandal engulfing Westminster is another blow to a weak government and the tainted political system in general. Not good news for the country as a whole and an unfortunate time for the Ministry of Defence on the cusp of a defence review.
Last week Michael Fallon was reportedly grilling the First Sea Lord about the sexual misconduct of officers aboard Trident submarine HMS Vigilant. At least he had the decency to recognise his own moral authority has now been undermined and resign swiftly. Having labelled 2017 “the year of the Royal Navy” and frequently rehearsed the untruth that “we have a growing Royal Navy”, awkward times were approaching for Fallon. It seems likely that significant cuts to the RN will be announced before the end of the year and justifying these claims would become even harder. The coming defence review car crash may also have been a factor in his decision to go.
While wrong-doing cannot be ignored, especially by those in the most senior positions, it might be helpful for those passing instant judgement to remember that our leaders are people too. Whether Secretary of State or captain of a nuclear submarine, it can be a lonely job, working long hours away from home and subject to enormous pressures. Let he who is innocent cast the first stone.
Better the devil you know?
Many will be glad to see the back of Fallon. Despite the spin & half-truths and lies which are par-for-the-course with most cabinet ministers, Fallon is a loss. Unlike some ministers, He was serious about the job and did not merely consider himself keeping the seat warm until getting another promotion. Having lasted in the job for more than three years, this provided a measure of stability to the department and allowed him to understand the job in a way his predecessor Philip Hammond did not.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Sir Stuart Peach is due to leave to become Chairman of the NATO Military Committee next year. Tony Douglas head of the Defence Equipment and Support has resigned and leaves at the end of the year. Louise Tulett, director-general of finance at the MoD, has just retired. These are very uncertain times for the MoD and the loss of Fallon leaves the ship looking rudderless, just as it is approaching the rocks.
Senior Naval figures saw him as a decent choice in the circumstances. He did appear to be well on top of the very complex defence brief and was genuinely concerned about the issues. He was considered a political heavyweight and had a significant voice in cabinet.
Although he patently failed to get the Treasury to provide the significant increase in funding that the MoD so desperately needs, he did at least get Theresa May to publicly commit to a rise in defence spending above 0.5% above inflation every year. The rise is small and will not be nearly enough to mitigate the problems but he is the first Defence Secretary to preside over any kind of rising budget for more than 10 years. He also ensured the closure of the Iraq Historic Allegations Team (IHAT) team that was involved in the disgraceful hounding of ex-servicemen.
From the RN’s perspective, his “year of the Royal Navy” statement was welcome as he was tying himself closely to the fortunes of the service. He was firmly committed to the carrier project, Trident renewal and the frigate programme. He had promised to visit each of the eight shipyards in the UK that may have stake in the Type 31e project and talk to management and workers, something he was not obliged to do.
No one is going to mourn Fallon’s departure to any great extent or remember him as one of the greats but he was a reasonably safe pair of hands, dealt impossible cards by the Treasury.
Gavin Williamson receives a “hospital pass”
With apparently no experience of defence matters, a relatively youthful 41-year-old has been appointed to replace Fallon. In Parliament since 2010 as MP for South Staffordshire, Williamson has served as junior Transport minister and Tory party Chief Whip. Loyal to Theresa May, this appointment can be seen as politically convenient for the Prime Minister when there are several other young and better qualified Tory MPs with a far better engagement in defence matters. The job itself will be extremely difficult and let us hope he is able to be more than a mouthpiece to explain the latest round of cuts.
At a time when post-Brexit Britain needs a strong navy and a properly funded and functioning Ministry of Defence, this appointment is critical and with rather limited optimism we wish the new man every success.
Related articles
- Sir Michael Fallon resigns, saying his conduct ‘fell short’ (BBC)
- Gavin Williamson replaces Michael Fallon as defence secretary (Guardian)
- Key resignations add to pressure on MoD ahead of funding cuts (FT.com)
As the great Kylie once stated “Better the devil you know”….. Be interesting to see how he does, hopefully he’ll be given a fair chance. (standby for harassment tales)
Only just heard about him, and, apart from the idea floating around that he suggested Fallon be kicked out just before Fallon announced his resignation, and the fact that he may have nominated himself for promotion, he creeps me out. Seriously… who keeps a tarantula called cronus on their desk, that thing would give me a heart attack. But in all seriousness, despite how much I hate him already, I do hope that he can at least mitigate any cuts to the navy.
“While wrong-doing cannot be ignored, especially by those in the most senior positions, it might be helpful for those passing instant judgement to remember that our leaders are people too. Whether Secretary of state or captain of a nuclear submarine, it can be a lonely job, working long hours away from home and subject to enormous pressures. Let he who is innocent cast the first stone”
Why can’t you blame the person instead of the job, do all MP’s and RN Captains get their end away at work? Cheat on their wives? Make unwanted sexual advances?
Let’s be honest here and blame the actual person, it’s his fault he can’t keep it in his pants, it’s him being unprofessional and it’s him that can’t handle the pressures of the job.
In both cases they are representing the country in the biggest way possible, anything other than 100% professionalism is unnaceptable.
This new appointment has been with absolutely no consideration of the countries defence. It’s just to shore up the PMs position.
What a sorry state this country is in at the moment.
Given the lack of commentary by Gavin Williamson on defence, all we can do is wait and see what he first says, then on what he does. What is the point in doubting the man before he has said or done anything regarding defence. All that does is further the negative attitude that pervades this and other sites comments sections. Just give the man a chance, then disagree with him if you don’t like what he says and does. Just give him a chance.
Fallon was a media savvy lightweight. The MOD deserves better.
Fallon become carried away with the role, enjoying too much of the trappings, saluting a military parade or kitted out in combat uniform.
But he was never a member of the armed forces. The standards he was required to uphold were those of a parliamentarian and a human being and he failed to pass muster.
Ian
At least he stuck to a consistent line – and was actually one of the few voices in government to actually advocate increased defence spending! Sometimes it’s ‘better the devil you know’! Yes, the forces DO deserve better, but who in the Government HAS ever served in uniform? At least Fallon had been in the job long enough to learn something about it. Only time will tell whether his replacement will last as long, or whether the job will just be another tick on his CV. Perhaps we should beware another old adage ‘a new broom sweeps clean…..’
At leat he is in with the PM. Last thing defence needs is one of the PM’s enemies put in place to maintain “balance”.
May be he is there to review the Foreign Aid budget and suggest 1 bn moved over to Defence. May be.
“It seems likely that further significant cuts to the RN are likely by the end of the year”… God God, what is left to cut? The RN is now down to 17 surface combatents, of which less than half can quick sortie. When the QE goes out for her first deployment, will it be American warships that escort her? Further cuts to what is already thread bare? What daft times we live in.
In 2030, the RN section of Jane’s Fighting Ships, Strength of the Fleet: H.M.S Queen Elizabeth & Prince of Wales, apparently that’s all we can afford! Someone have the courage to cut the welfare state.
There is no appetite in the country to cut the welfare budget and put more money into defence.
The Conservatives will even lose to Corbyn if they put that into their manifesto.
The country has suffered greatly since the financial crisis and there just isn’t the stomach to get involved in another war.
Who is saying anything about a war? My concern is having the ability to defend the UK’s home waters!
Ian only some in this country suffered and the cuts in 2010 were so poorly thought through many are being reversed perhaps with the exception of defence. I think the benefits cap was more popular than many think particularly with many low paid workers but just cutting welfare and not addressing tax avoidance, corporate cronyism with multinational businesses raising prices in a fixed market and those on high pay in the public sector not being tackled has left the Tories on the verge. Sadly Corbyn is not the answer.
“QE will have 12 reconditioned Fairy Swordfish, an aircraft with a proven record in combat. The new Type 31 frigate will be a low carbon footprint three-masted sloop, armed with 8 pounders. New seamen will be classified as Robotsmen.
Reconditioned Swordfish? They would probably have a low radar signature lol. Perhaps we could cobble together a tranch of reconditioned Lancasters while we are at it.
Simply kill off foreign aid and spend it on Defence. Simples!
Just an Interesting thought…of all the worlds larger nations, those outside the EU on the whole put more emphasis on defence – might that also have to be the case for the UK post Brexit?