Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP announced today that the rank of corporal in all its forms is to be eliminated and the ranks of sergeant and above will handle their own privates in future.
"Not also do we eliminate a layer of management," said Hammond "it meets the desire of many of our officers to be more in touch with their privates."
Shadow Defence Secretary Jim Murphy said "This is another misguided policy. It is a well established fact that officers, especially the higher ranks, are already very much hands on with their privates."