Monty management

When General Montgomery was confronted by incompetence from his officers he described them as 'utterly useless' and sacked those who could not perform.

He would not tolerate failure from those who were charged with the responsibility of running his army.

I know all this because my late father CJA Try ISO told me so. Just before D-Day Montgomery asked my father's unit what they lacked in equipment; my father told them. His brigadier was sacked and his unit was given what it lacked. After that my late father was for many years a district inspector of taxes.

The current shambles that is now HMRC would have appalled both him and his many very good colleagues who year in year out until recently delivered a first-rate service whilst doing what we all recognised is a very very difficult but absolutely essential job.

It is now common ground...