Gordon Brown is burying a report on MOD waste.

The single most important duty of any government is to protect the nation. To do that you must provide sufficient funds and expertise to allow our armed forces to do their job. Gordon Brown has failed miserably to do so.

From the FT:

Gordon Brown was on Wednesday accused of suppressing a “damning” review of defence procurement policy that concluded billions of pounds were being wasted.

The report by Bernard Gray, a former adviser to the Ministry of Defence, was due to be published last month but was delayed after ministers announced that work would begin on a strategic defence review.

Mr Gray was to investigate how to bear down on spiralling procurement costs and improve how the department provides kit for the frontline.

His report finds that the MoD has just two-thirds of the funds it needs to meet existing commitments to buy equipment. The shortfall pushes up costs by forcing project delays. Up to £2.5bn a year is being wasted as a result, according to details of the report seen by Channel 4 News.

The decision last year to postpone work on new aircraft carriers by two years could cost taxpayers up to £1bn as the consortium building the ships keeps staff working longer, leaked documents have shown.

Full story HERE.