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Fallon Backs Defence Chief On Corbyn Comments

The Defence Secretary has defended the head of the Armed Forces over his comments that Jeremy Corbyn's policy on Trident called into question his ability to run the country.

Michael Fallon said General Sir Nicholas Houghton was simply giving a "straight answer to a straight question" and that it was his job to do so.

Gen Houghton said it would "worry" him if the Labour leader won power because he had openly admitted he would not be willing to press the red button.

He said this undermined the credibility of Britain's nuclear deterrent - triggering complaints from Mr Corbyn, who wrote to the Defence Secretary urging him to rein in the Chief of Defence Staff.

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However, Mr Fallon told Sky News he had not received the letter but stressed that in any event, Gen Houghton "was not commenting personally" on Mr Corbyn and his policies, and had not overstepped the mark.

No 10 has already said no disciplinary action would be taken against Gen Houghton and said it was "reasonable" for him to make the comments as part of his job.

She said: "The chief of the Armed Forces ... made a point about the credibility of the deterrent.

"He made clear he wasn't talking about a personal thing.

"He was asked about the deterrent. He made a point about the credibility of the deterrent.

"And as the principle military adviser to the Government, it's reasonable for the Chief of Defence Staff to talk about how we maintain the credibility of one of the most important tools in our armoury."

The row erupted on Remembrance Sunday shortly after Mr Corbyn and Gen Houghton laid wreaths in memory of Britain's war dead at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

There has been some criticism of Mr Corbyn for giving a nod, rather than bowing.

Gen Houghton told the Andrew Marr Show: "It would worry me if that thought was translated into power.

"The reason I say this - and it's not based on a personal thing at all - is purely based upon the credibility of deterrence.

"The whole thing of deterrence rests upon the credibility of its use.

"When people say they're never going to use the deterrent, I say you use the deterrent every second of every minute of every day - the purpose of the deterrent is you don't have to use it because you effectively deter."

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Mr Corbyn accused Gen Houghton of breaching "constitutional principle" and said it was a "matter of serious concern" that the head of the Armed Forces had intervened directly in "issues of political dispute".

He said: "It is essential in a democracy that the military remains political neutral at all times.

"By publicly taking sides in current political arguments, Sir Nicholas Houghton has clearly breached that constitutional principle."

The Conservative chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Crispin Blunt, backed Mr Corbyn and told Sky News the comments had overstepped the mark.

He said: "As an ex-soldier and a Conservative politician I am rather loath to take the side of a left-wing leader of the Labour Party against the Chief of the Defence Staff, but I rather fear he has a point.

"I think the Chief of the Defence Staff perhaps strayed into political territory."