The Court of Human Rights has condemned the government witch-hunts against lesbians and gays in the military. Men and women, with exemplary military records, who have been hunted down, endured humiliating interrogations and dismissed solely because of their sexuality, will finally win compensation.

The days of the ban are over.

This is good news for everybody. The armed forces are desperately short of recruits. It makes no sense to dismiss highly trained personnel. Lifting the ban will not make the armed services one bit less effective. You don't have to be heterosexual to shoot straight!

Lifting the ban now will save a lot of money. If the government ignore the decision of the European Court the taxpayers bill could rise to over �6 million.

There are those who claim, including the Ministry of Defence that, men and women in the British forces are somehow uniquely prejudiced -that they would refuse to serve with lesbians and gay men. I believe that this is in an insult. A new NOP poll, published last week, shows that 68% of the population thought the ban should be lifted, including 58% of Tories.

The case of John Beckett, who served in the Royal Navy and is now a policeman in Sheffield, illustrates the point. John served in submarines living and working in close quarters with his heterosexual colleagues.

Nobody ever made any complaint about his behaviour. But when he told his chaplain that he had a gay civilian partner he was immediately dismissed. His commanding officer commented upon his efficiency, intelligence and dedication. We need people like John Beckett in the armed forces not out of it.

In East Timor the international peace keeping forces from Australia and New Zealand have no gay ban. Nor did the Dutch forces in Bosnia or the German and the French in Kosovo. Is anyone seriously saying that this makes them unfit to do the job?