Hutton was appointed Defence Secretary last year
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Departed Defence Secretary John Hutton has been accused of a "dereliction of duty" by a senior military figure, because UK troops are at war. Mr Hutton resigned his post on Friday, saying he was leaving frontline politics but supported Gordon Brown. Field Marshal Lord Bramall, in a letter to the Times, said Mr Hutton's timing could not be worse, with funding problems facing troops in Afghanistan. Former Armed Forces Minister Bob Ainsworth is the new defence secretary.
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Numbers of our Armed Forces are dying in carrying out their duty; and there are appalling equipment and funding problems to be urgently resolved
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Lord Bramall, who was Chief of the Defence Staff for three years, said: "I do not care what reasons John Hutton can produce for resigning the key office of Secretary of State for Defence - family reasons, no longer intending to pursue a political career, sending an indirect signal to Gordon Brown - but to do so at this moment must constitute nothing short of dereliction of duty under fire. "After all, there is a serious war to be fought in Afghanistan; numbers of our Armed Forces are dying in carrying out their duty; and there are appalling equipment and funding problems to be urgently resolved." Lord Bramall, who headed the Armed Forces from 1982 to 1985 and took part in the Normandy landings exactly 65 years ago, said the timing was so poor that, had he the authority, Mr Brown should have ordered Mr Hutton to remain. When Mr Hutton announced on Friday he was quitting after only eight months, he said he was also going to stand down at the general election. 'Sigh of relief' It has been reported that the 54-year-old, who has a great interest in military history, wants to write more books on the subject. Defence officials believe Mr Ainsworth will provide continuity at the department, having been promoted from within. A defence source said: "There was a collective sigh of relief from the department and the military when we learnt of Bob Ainsworth's appointment. "We need continuity during this time of high operational tempo and Bob provides that. "In addition, he is hugely popular with everyone across the department and within the military with a strong track record of delivery. "For example, his work on the Command Paper which brought many benefits to service personnel and their families."
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