Gordon Brown flew into Afghanistan yesterday amid an escalating row over his support for British troops – and immediately announced a £100million plan to replace the notorious Snatch Land Rovers. Just hours after he was criticised by former military leaders for squeezing defence spending while he was Chancellor, the Prime Minister told troops that he would do ‘everything necessary’ to support them with equipment. But former Prime Minister Sir John Major accused Mr Brown of using the Armed Forces as a political prop. Scroll down for video report Spending spree: Gordon Brown meets troops after arriving in Helmand yesterday Visit: Gordon Brown has said the British Army will receive £100million in new vehicles to replace the Snatch Land Rovers Sir John said: ‘On Friday the Prime Minister told the Chilcot Inquiry that our troops were given “everything they asked for”. Less than 24 hours later, he arrives in Afghanistan with yet more promises of equipment that should have been available a long time ago.’ He added: ‘Of course, Ministers should visit our troops. But to use them as a cynically-timed pre-Election backdrop is profoundly unbecoming conduct for a Prime Minister.’ The Snatch trucks will be replaced by Light Protected Patrol Vehicles (LPPVs), which are intended to offer greater protection for soldiers. No10 sources said that 200 LPPVs would be available to troops by the second half of 2011, but were unable to say who would build them. Designs are being drawn up by the MoD and private defence contractors. Investment: The PM speaks to soldiers at Shawat forward operating base in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, during a surprise visit Training: The PM watches members of the Afghan police perform arrests on mock Taliban suspects It was also announced that £18million will be spent on equipment such as metal detectors to tackle improvised explosive devices. Snatch Land Rovers – designed for riot control in Northern Ireland – have the worst safety record of any vehicle used by British forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some 40 men and women have been killed by roadside bombs or mines while travelling in them. The Prime Minister boarded a plane to Helmand just 90 minutes after completing his evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry, leading to Tory claims that the visit was a political stunt. In his testimony, Mr Brown rejected claims that he had squeezed spending on the military as Chancellor – only to be condemned by Lord Boyce, a former Chief of the Defence Staff, for ‘dissembling’ and being ‘disingenuous’ in his evidence. Tour: Mr Brown meets with community elders to discuss their attempts to persuade farmers to stop the cultivation of opium poppies Addressing 200 troops in front of a memorial to the fallen, Mr Brown said: ‘We will do everything necessary to support you with the equipment necessary and the resources you need.’ Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox attacked Mr Brown’s trip as ‘cynical and shallow’. Mr Fox also issued a ‘charge sheet’ against the Prime Minister for his record on defence. He said: ‘As Chancellor, he cut the helicopter budget by £1.4billion in 2004 when we were fighting two wars, a decision which has had tragic consequences. ‘While he is in Afghanistan, he could apologise for delaying the delivery of key equipment when he was Chancellor. He has treated our Armed Forces with contempt.’ Shortfalls: General Sir Richard Dannatt and, right, Lord Guthrie, criticised Mr Brown's evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry and said there was a lack of equipment Downing Street described the Tory claims as a ‘desperate attempt to distract attention from the Lord Ashcroft affair’. Mr Brown, speaking at Camp Bastion, the headquarters of Britain’s Afghan operations, said: ‘I have been planning this visit for some time. For the past four years, I have been coming here around this time to see our troops and see what progress has been made.’ Asked whether it was likely to be his last visit to the country as Prime Minister, he declined to respond. In his evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry, Mr Brown appeared to blame military commanders for the use of Snatch Land Rovers. But soldiers’ families and Army chiefs said the Snatches were used in Iraq only because the Army did not have properly armoured vehicles. l Two soldiers from 3 Rifles have died after separate incidents in Afghanistan. One died from wounds received in an explosion near Sangin on Friday. The second died yesterday as a result of small-arms fire. Vulnerable: The Snatch Land Rover will be replaced by a British-made faster, more armoured vehicle in a £100million investmentOne day after Chilcot grilling;
Brown vows to replace notorious Snatch Land Rovers
Sunday, 7 March 2010
By GLEN OWEN
Last updated at 8:43 AM on 07th March 2010
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