By Mike Hancock MP

Our previous Prime Minister, like Winston Churchill, believed that the world would always be safer if America and the United Kingdom were fighting on the same side. Mr Brown has followed that line with enthusiasm, to the regret of many in the United Kingdom, myself included. Nevertheless, it is believed that Europe and America are better served by working together rather than against each other or in different directions.

By Tony Purton

The sudden departure of Lord Drayson as MoD's defence procurement mastermind has almost certainly dealt a crippling blow to the creation of a coherent policy in this area. Since the announcement of the SMART procurement initiative in 1997 I have been looking for a new 'Albert Speer' to create that miracle - or to make a silk purse out of a perennial sow's ear. My money was on Sir Peter Spencer, then on Lord Drayson. Both have now left MoD.