Gavin Williamson blocks attempts to rebrand Army

The South Staffordshire MP was responding after an official document which had been leaked suggested the slogan and crest depicting crossed swords, a crown and a lion were to be dropped as part of a rebrand exercise costing £520,000.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman said: "The Defence Secretary believes that the British Army is the best of the best and has put these proposals on hold."

According to reports, the team of the Army's most senior officer, General Sir Nick Carter, the chief of general staff, wrote a document entitled The Army Brand which circulated among senior officers and drew upon market research. It said: "Market research in May 17 found that Be the Best did not resonate with many of our key audiences and was considered dated, elitist and non-inclusive.

"The ECAB [Executive Committee of the Army Board] therefore agreed that its use should be phased out as soon as affordably possible.

"The retirement of Be the Best will commence immediately with all planned refreshes of Be the Best branded material cancelled in favour of brand compliant products."

The document added that the slogan, which has featured since 1993, was never 'researched or defined'.

The Army crest was also deemed to be 'non-inclusive' by advertising executives hired by the MoD, according to reports.

It was to be replaced by a fluttering Union Jack with the word ARMY in bold type underneath.

Some officials claimed Mr Williamson's intervention would anger Army top brass who would feel undermined.

However the rebranding project had been widely criticised.

Chairman of the Commons Defence Select Committee, Julian Lewis said: "Being the best is nothing to be ashamed of – It is a matter for pride and a very positive message to transmit. Why should we be afraid of excellence when we are constantly saying our Armed Forces are the best in the world?"

While Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood Tweeted a picture of the current logo re-iterating that the words held true today.

The post said: "What is a British soldier? They are highly trained, motivated, committed, disciplined, and versatile.

"They are leaders and team players. Whatever the strapline - together they form the most professional Army in the world. That makes them the best."

Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of UK troops in Afghanistan, said it was 'lunacy' to spend money on a 'futile' rebranding in the face of a reduced defence budget.

The MoD added: 'Like all organisations we adapt our brand to make sure it is up to date. Be the Best has been used since 1993 and, following detailed research, we've decided to update our branding at a cost of £520,000."