Ex-Prime Minister John Major has criticised Gordon Brown's visit to Afghanistan, calling the pre-election visit "cynically timed", "unbecoming conduct for a Prime Minister" and of using British troops as a "party political prop".
Brown's photo opportunities with our brave soldiers come as his evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war has been blasted and criticised by a number of senior military chiefs and leaders.
Elsewhere, Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox is to table a question in Parliament today to find out the story behind the announcement of 200 Light Protected Patrol Vehicles to replace the Snatch Land Rover.
Fox, speaking to yesterday's Andrew Marr Show on the BBC and quoted in the Daily Mail today said: "We have been waiting for years for replacements to the Snatch Land Rovers. There is one very curious element about this, because the public tender that was put out was for 400 vehicles to replace Snatch. The Prime Minister [...] said it would be 200. What happened to the other 200? I will be tabling questions to find out whether this is yet another cut to the equipment on Treasury orders."
However, in a nation that is every more dependent on a picture to tell a thousand words, perhaps the most damaging memento of Gordon Brown's visit to Afghanistan will be a photograph in today's The Times. Alas, the photographer's name doesn't appear to be listed so we cannot give them credit, but take a look at the photograph on this page.
We'd nominate that photograph for Photo Journalism Award of the Year (if such a prize exists).
In one simple image, we see Gordon Brown's face reflected in a memorial plaque dedicated to British troops who have lost their lives in Helmand.
In that one picture, we are reminded that Gordon Brown shares as much responsibility for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as does his predecessor, Tony Blair.
It is one image that Gordon Brown can never escape, frozen in time for always.
And, by association, we are reminded that the General Election is not, after all, just about the economy, stupid.
Brown knows this only too well.
However, that one photograph probably never entered into his calculations.
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