General’s rage at No10
Has the world gone mad! Hero’s fury as Downing St adds his name to pro-EU letter
ONE of Britain’s most respected military generals spoke of his fury last night after Number Ten admitted it had mistakenly added his name to a letter promoting membership of the EU.
The open letter, orchestrated by Downing Street and signed by 13 senior military figures, claimed Brexit would leave us facing ‘grave security threats’.
But yesterday one of its supposed signatories, General Sir Michael Rose, revealed he had never put his name to it – forcing Number Ten to issue a humiliating apology.
Sir Michael said he has ‘doubts about the wisdom of using military officers for a political campaign’, adding that ‘sovereignty and security are intrinsically linked and in recent years we’ve seen the EU erode our sovereignty’.
The general, who led UN troops in Bosnia in 1994-95 and was in charge of the 1980 SAS siege of the Iranian embassy, was in New Zealand when the letter was put together. He said yesterday: ‘Has the world gone mad? I did not sign up to the PM’s campaign … I merely asked to see a draft of a letter which I was about to contest! A bit difficult to do so from the Great Barrier Island where I am. About as far from Europe as it is possible to be!’
The mistake is a disaster for David Cameron, who has been accused of ‘project fear’ for claims about risks to security if we leave the EU.
The Mail understands another former general was told his name was going to be on the letter. But it was only after he expressed his outrage that he was removed from it.
Another, General Sir Mike Jackson, former head of the Army, said yesterday he had not been ‘happy entirely’ with the thrust of the letter, but added: ‘I was content to put my name on it.’
Earlier this week, No 10 was caught orchestrating a letter from business leaders which claimed Brexit would put jobs at risk.
The 13 military commanders’ letter, published in The Daily Telegraph, said they believe ‘strongly’ that it is in our ‘national interest to remain an EU member’.
Among the signatories was Field Marshal Lord Edwin Bramall, a former chief of the defence staff who took part in the Normandy landings. Others included Field Marshal Lord Charles Guthrie, Marshal of the RAF Jock Stirrup, and Admiral of the Fleet Lord Michael Boyce.
They said: ‘We have served around the world and in almost every con- flict in which Britain has been engaged since the Second World War … therefore, we are particularly concerned with one central question: will Britain be safer inside the EU or outside it?’
The letter adds: ‘Europe today is facing a series of grave security challenges … Britain will have to confront these challenges whether it is inside or outside the EU. But within the EU, we are stronger.’
Lord Alan West, in charge of the Royal Navy during the Iraq war, was also a signatory. He said: ‘Me and one or two others … believed it should reinforce the importance of Nato to our defence, not just the EU. That was done and I was happy to have my name added.’
Last night No 10 said all other signatories had been contacted yesterday and had said they were happy to have their names on the letter. A spokesman said: ‘Due to an administrative error on our part, General Sir Michael Rose hadn’t signed the letter which appeared in the Telegraph this morning.’
Former defence secretary Liam Fox told Sky News the inclusion of Sir Michael was ‘inexcusable’. He also said he disagreed with the letter, telling Forces TV: ‘I think Iain Duncan Smith put it very well, that there are actually security risks attached to being in the European Union … the public will see that you’ve got the elite and the Establishment using taxpayers’ money to push their case.’
A Vote Leave spokesman said: ‘No 10 civil servants are trying to bully people into backing the EU … The Government should be giving people impartial information, not using respected figures for propaganda purposes.’
This week, General Sir Mike Jackson told The Daily Telegraph: ‘There is a security dimension to the EU but … the military dimension is provided by Nato.’