I watched Gordon Brown's speech yesterday, well most of it. I heard him making big, brave promises, some of which sounded as if they just might be almost honest. It was inspiring stuff.
Today, The Register tells us about the helicopters for the army in Afghanistan. Yes, we are going to refurbish 30 year old machines to get another (maybe) ten years out of them.
And the Pumas won't be flying in Afghanistan for at least another two years - whereas new Blackhawks could have been there for at least a year by now. Sikorsky have offered repeatedly to supply choppers to deal with the British armed forces' embarrassing lack of them. If we'd bought in 2007 when the pound was strong, Sikorsky were offering 60 brand-new birds plus training for £480m. As it is we'll get 30 antiques for £300m, paying at least four times as much for every flying hour we obtain. And waiting half a decade to get them, too.
You had me believing you, Brown, for a few minutes. The fact that you are right about the Tories being worse than Labour really isn't any kind of consolation. Still, at least the rich people who benefit from the contract will be even richer...
