Sitrep: Giving CDS new powers over all three services great in principle, but hard to execute
The Chief of the Defence Staff could be set to get new powers that could see him given more responsibility for each of the three services.
It may sound like semantics, but the move could see the role merge from Chief of the Defence Staff to the Commander of British Forces.
But what does this mean? Is the change needed? And is the CDS not already the head of the UK Armed Forces?
General Lord Richards, a former CDS from 2010-2013, spoke about the changes on Sitrep – which analyses the top defence stories of the week and is available wherever you get your podcasts.
Firstly, Gen Richards said the CDS is not the commander of British Forces currently, he is head of the defence staff, an important distinction.
Currently, the service chiefs work on their own services and under the CDS, who reports to the Defence Secretary.
However, the new plans could see the CDS responsible for overseeing the strategy, budgeting and decision-making for the whole UK Armed Forces.
Gen Richards said he supported the proposed move "with some caveats" and said he would take on the role if he had his time again.
"The opportunity will be marvellous," he said.
"If I was still knocking around… give me that responsibility and I could make a big difference.
"I think there'll be plenty of people like me who say, bring it on, please."
He said the CDS needs "to be given the mechanisms to make sure that when he ordains something probably very difficult, that that will be executed".
"The problems there will be the single service chiefs pushing back," he said.
"It'll be interesting to see if they still have right of access to the secret state and the accounting officer, the permanent under-secretary, he will have a view.
"The CDS's decisions can't be final; it'll be the basis of the start of a discussion – although he will wield great authority."
Gen Richards said it is not the first time this move has been mooted.
"It was something of a surprise to David Cameron when I told him that I didn't actually command the single services," he said.
"I was, if you like, a significant primus inter pares and I had access to the political class."
He said the former prime minister felt the CDS should become more like a commander of the UK Armed Forces, with Lord Levine, leading a defence review at the time, agreeing.
But the plan hit a roadblock.
He said the then-Secretary of State for Defence, Liam Fox, "and notably the civil servants, the Permanent Under Secretary (PUS) and the second PUS, and, indeed, the single service chiefs... felt that this would deprive them of their influence and power."
Gen Richards said if the CDS is to get these new sweeping powers, he needs to be a "very exceptional person".
"Now I'd like to think maybe all CDSs are, but some inevitably are better than others," he said.
"And he needs the support of the political masters and of the single service chiefs if this innovation is going to work."
He also acknowledged it may be difficult to execute, but if it is to work, it needs to be based on the principle that the single service chiefs are "responsible for the execution of policy… laid down by the CDS and not by the Secretary of State".
"But the Secretary of State and the permanent Under Secretary have got to be equally understanding," he said.
"The proof will be in the pudding.
"All of them will find it very difficult sometimes to accept the CDS's word and will push back.
"Sometimes that will be fine, they'll reach a new solution or they'll just turn to the right.
"Other times, there will be very serious and difficult decisions be taken and it will effectively be taken out of the CDS's hands again.
"And that's the risk."
You can listen to Sitrep wherever you get your podcasts, including on the Forces News YouTube channel.
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