General Sir Richard Dannatt may have only a few more weeks left as head of the British army. But in his final days in the post, he has done a huge service to the debate on British defence. For years, there has been a drip-drip of stories suggesting that UK forces in Afghanistan are short of troops and equipment. By speaking publicly, Gen Dannatt has rightly brought this debate to the front of the political stage, forcing the government to look more closely at questions of resourcing.

The implications of this debate go beyond the Afghan campaign, however. The current row is a foretaste of the much bigger argument on Britain’s place in the world that will follow the next election. Labour and the Conservatives are committed to holding a Strategic Defence Review if they win power. This will determine for the first time since 1998 what the UK’s military role over the next decade should be.