Brown ambushed by soldier over tax issues

London: A brave young British soldier challenged Gordon Brown face-to-face yesterday over why our troops in Afghanistan have to pay tax - while American soldiers don't.

The confrontation occurred shortly after the Prime Minister - on a surprise visit to Afghanistan - signalled for the first time that he would be prepared to sit down with the Taliban to broker a political solution to the war in Afghanistan.

He also pledged that the number of specialised troops trained to tackle Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) - the deadly roadside bombs that have blighted the mission - be doubled to 400 within a year.

As Brown chatted about football to a group of Welsh Guards over lunch at a British military base in Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province, 20-year-old Lance Corporal Dean Byfield politely inquired if he could ask a more serious question.

Showing no signs of nerves, he asked Brown: "Why do we have to pay tax while we are out here?"

Brown, taken aback by the direct approach, explained that as a British soldier, Lance Corporal Byfield was technically a UK employee and therefore his income was taxed back home, even though he is stationed overseas.

Keen to show his interest in their financial concerns, Brown asked Byfield what he and his comrades received while serving in Afghanistan.

Appearing to offer some hope that they might get more, he said: "Every year we look at these things and at what is happening at different grades. I hope, nevertheless, that you have found your service here rewarding. You are doing a very important job."

The Prime Minister joined the troops for a light lunch of sandwiches, fruit and crisps, under a shaded canopy during a two-hour tour of Lashkar Gah.

British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq have long envied their American counterparts who get tax-free salaries when they are fighting overseas.

France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands all offer extra allowances to boost their soldiers' pay packets. German troops even get a Christmas bonus.

New recruits in the Australian army get a basic salary of £19,000 (Dh113,494) with extra money for 'inconveniences' - including working on weekends - which takes their pay to nearly £24,000.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "Deployed personnel receive an Operational Allowance, a tax-free lump sum paid into salaries at the end of deployments."

The allowance of £2,380 is paid on top of a minimum £1,194 longer separation allowance to a private soldier deployed on their first operation overseas - bringing the pay to a minimum of £20,255.

The official said: "Deployed personnel receive an operational allowance, rather than tax-free pay, because it brings most benefit to lower ranks who pay less tax."

However, after Brown left, Byfield said soldiers on active duty should not have to pay tax.

"I think it is wrong - we are out here fighting for our country, paying tax."

Byfield's mum laughed when The Mail on Sunday broke the news about his direct question Brown.

"He's honest and straight-talking - that's typical of him," said Sharon Jones, 40.

"Dean's a very loyal lad who cares a great deal for his mates. He's right to raise the point - the lads should not have to pay taxes when they are in a war zone."

New strategy unveiled

Gordon Brown unveiled a fresh strategy for the war in Afghanistan yesterday, including a controversial "reconciliation" process for Taliban elements and speedier training of an Afghan army to replace Nato troops.

Amid waning public support for the conflict, the prime minister used a visit to a British military base in Helmand province to give the first insight into changes aimed at curbing the death toll among UK soldiers.

A source close to Brown suggested negotiations with insurgents sympathetic to the Taliban, persuading them to switch sides, now formed a key component of Britain's war effort.

He added: "The more reconciliation, the better." Senior diplomatic sources in Helmand suggested such efforts could be on a large scale, adding: "A large part of the Taliban are not really committed to their agenda. They are just fighting for tactical reasons and can be brought back into mainstream life."

Brown also suggested the planned training of an Afghan army capable of taking responsibility for its own country's defence could be accelerated by a year, potentially speeding up the departure of Nato troops.

- Guardian News & Media Ltd