Tories allege that Gordon Brown has short-changed the army over new vehicles

Published: 10:46AM GMT 07 March 2010

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Officials travelling with Prime Minister Gordon Brown to revisit UK forces in Afghanistan yesterday indicated that an proclamation was approaching inside of weeks of �100 million for 200 new vehicles that will suggest improved insurance to troops.

But shade counterclaim cabinet member Liam Fox lifted questions about the order, that he pronounced was creatively dictated to broach 400 vehicles.

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""We have been watchful for years for replacements to the Snatch Land Rovers,"" Dr Fox told BBC1"s Andrew Marr Show.

""There is one really extraordinary component about this, since the open proposal that was put out was for 400 vehicles to reinstate Snatch. The Prime Minister yesterday pronounced it would be 200. What happened to the alternative 200?

""Tomorrow in Parliament, I will be tabling questions to find out either this is nonetheless an additional cut to the apparatus on Treasury orders.""

The soft-skinned Snatch Land Rovers are blamed by infantry for most of the deaths caused by roadside bombs planted by Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan. The new British-built vehicles, that are due to be delivered to the front line by late 2011, are pronounced to suggest world-leading panzer division along with high manoeuvrability.

Dr Fox"s comments came as Tories confirmed their conflict on the timing of Mr Brown"s visit, that followed rught away on from his justification to the Chilcot Inquiry in to the Iraq War.

The Prime Minister"s justification that, as Chancellor, he supposing the infantry with all they asked for has come underneath glow from former chiefs of the counterclaim staff, who indicted him of being ""disingenuous"".

Admiral Lord Boyce and General Lord Guthrie pronounced that, whilst particular obligatory requests for apparatus were in truth financed, the infantry suffered from a wider necessity of appropriation to quarrel dual wars.

One of Mr Brown"s predecessors Sir John Major last night indicted him of ""profoundly uncivilised control for a Prime Minister"".

Sir John claimed the PM used British infantry as a ""party domestic prop"" and pronounced infantry could be forgiven for per the warn revisit as a ""political stunt"".

""Of course, ministers should revisit the troops. But to make use of them as a cynically-timed pre-election backdrop is profoundly uncivilised control for a Prime Minister,"" pronounced the Tory ex-PM.

Dr Fox said: ""Of march it is utterly normal for Prime Ministers to visit. Gordon Brown tends to collect his moments.""

Downing Street discharged the idea that the revisit was politically encouraged and insisted the timing was not related to the Chilcot hearing. Mr Brown has visited infantry at this time of year for 4 unbroken years, as PM and Chancellor, an help forked out.

Asked either the outing amounted to electioneering, Mr Brown himself responded: ""I am here since I wish to appreciate the British infantry for their bravery, their loyalty and their professionalism.""