War and the election

The Pushy Pacifist wonders how much the war in Iraq and Afghanistan will figure in the coming General Election (if indeed it comes). Simon Heffer's Comment piece in today's Telegraph argues that the electorate doesn't much care about 'foreign policy' and so the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan or the potential on/off bombing of Iran won't be much of a feature in the election [war of course being foreign policy by another name in Telegraph-land]. Heffer notes that lack of respect for soldiers when they return and goes on to castigate both Milliband and Hague for not trying hard enough to engage the public in support for 'foreign policy'(i.e foreign wars). But rather than being disengaged with foreign policy, perhaps the public are just sick of Blair & Brown's wars. Even Sir Richard Dannatt, head of the British Army has noticed the growing gulf between the armed forces and the public and has been pleading for homecoming parades and football tickets for retuning soldiers.