Lions equipped by donkeys
Britain's military bureaucrats are still wasting money
OF ALL the plucky underdogs celebrated in British mythology, few are more cherished than the brave soldier let down by knuckle-headed civilians. So it was to general and satisfying dismay on July 28th that a parliamentary committee reported on the defence ministry's habitual inability to supply its troops well. The committee called the ministry's procurement record “woeful”. Last year, its outstanding orders went over budget by £3.1 billion, even as they slipped an average 18 months behind schedule.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Lions equipped by donkeys”
From the July 31st 2004 edition
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