Defence

Britain’s Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Drayson has quit his unpaid government post, apparently as a result of frustrations over cost-cutting in the Ministry of Defence. He is being replaced by Baroness Ann Taylor.

Initially it was announced that he was leaving to pursue his long-standing ambition to participate in motor racing. But it has been reported that the real reason for Drayson’s abrupt departure had little to do with his racing ambitions, but was instead due to his growing frustrations. He is said to be furious that the British Defence Export Services Organisation is to be wound up.

Former Chief of Defence Staff Lord Guthrie told the BBC he believed Lord Drayson was leaving because he was “frustrated by the bureaucracy and that some of his plans for modernising procurement are just not achievable unless more money is available”.
Lord Drayson was the author of Britain’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, and won respect from military officers and across the political spectrum for bringing “sensible business practices to MoD procurement”.

The news has dismayed some of the British exhibitors here at Dubai air show. Ross Bradley, chief executive of the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium says he is “extremely disappointed” with the decision, and praised Lord Drayson’s “ inspirational leadership”.

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