The former military generals' denouncement of the far-right's attempts to "tap up" British servicemen and women could turn out to be the most powerful weapon yet against the British National Party.
Although the generals, including Sir Mike Jackson and Sir Richard Dannant, did not explicitly mention the BNP in their letter as part of the Stolen Honour campaign, we all knew who they meant.
For years the BNP has claimed support among the military - and stories of racism in the lower ranks made it a fertile ground for recruitment.
But already disturbed by the insults directed at Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry, the black Victoria Cross holder, the generals squirmed as the BNP's European election campaign this year was run to backdrop of images of Spitfires and Sir Winston Churchill.
That both the Spitfire and Churchill represented the fight against the extreme right was an inconsistency that went unquestioned by many BNP supporters. Indeed, some may be shocked to learn that Churchill, as home secretary before the first world war, was condemned as a socialist for piloting social reforms through parliament.
For those who are attracted to the BNP for its dangerous version of patriotism, the generals have cogently and coherently distanced the very embodiment of Queen and country - the armed forces - from the extreme right.
That takes some doing and disables the BNP's raison d'etre.
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