There were high hopes, when the duplicitous Blair finally stepped down to leave the nation and the armed forces saddled with the burden of his dodgy wars, that as his replacement Gordon Brown would bring in a new era of openness.

It doesn't seem to have worked out that way. I'm reluctant to join in the Brown bashing that seems to be the order of the day, but it can't be denied that even without being beleaguered by the recent government sleaze and incompetence issues he's been something of a disappointment.

His prevarication over whether or not to call a snap opportunist election, the return of his sulky, tousled look after a brief flirtation with a smiling face and a new haircut, his failure to adopt a less poodle-like attitude towards the USAll these things have helped to wreck any dreams that he was going to turn over a new leaf on the Government's behalf.

Confirmation of suspicions that under Brown it's sneaky business as usual comes with the revelation that an announcement that the RAF base at Menwith Hill near Harrogate is to be used by the US for its ballistic missile defence system was made the day before MPs broke up for their long summer holiday, when they weren't in a concentrating mood.

This was on July 25, in the early days of the Brown premiership. It came less than two months after the Government had reported discussions as being at an early stage, with no formal proposals.

Oh yes? Seven weeks from "early stage" to done deal seems remarkably rapid progress. Even members of the all-party Commons foreign affairs committee are reported to feel that way about it. It's their job to scrutinise such proposals, but what chance had they to do that when it was sneaked out at the last minute, avoiding the promised debate?

The Government obviously knew that there'd be criticism of a plan which, by making Menwith Hill a link in a US satellite system designed to detect missiles, would put North Yorkshire in the front line in any future war that the US might decide to embark upon.

The so-called "special relationship" between Britain and the US is something of a sham. I suspect it will only remain special as long as we do as we're told and our politicians know that and are too scared to do anything to upset the bully.

And that includes letting our democratically-elected representatives debate, and perhaps even reject, a plan to let a British base become part of the defence network of a nation that claims to be a defender of democracy.