Freedom to die

Political advantage from tragedies

On the day when UK total of soldiers’ deaths in Afghanistan reached 97, a loony right wing campaigning group sends an e-mail. The message  from the Freedom Association is guaranteed to incite the wrath of at least 139 MPs. It starts in crimson letters:-

“As a Member of Parliament who sent our Forces to Areas of Conflict to fight and maybe give the ultimate sacrifice you should consider the following and ask whether you have met your obligation under the 'Military Covenant.”

As one of the many who voted against our sacrifice of soldiers’ lives in Bush’s Iraq war and spoke against the Helmand incursion, I object to the hectoring patronising tone of this message.

They are demanding an increase in Defence Spending. Ours is already the second highest in the world at £30 billion. Of course there are no hints as to which budget will be cut to afford the extra £5 billion they want to grab.

Is this a political stunt? The e-mail favorably mentions a Tory spokesman and kicks the Government. Where was this group when decisions to send UK troops to Iraq and to the Helmand Province were made? Almost certainly cheering from the sidelines as the Tories were.

The writer calls for renewal of the covenant between Government and the forces. Surely the first duty of the covenant should be to avoid sending troops to die in vain. Perhaps the second should be to resist the temptation to make political capital out of these tragedies. I have met my obligations under the covenant.

Has the Freedom Association?

Journey to nowhere

Friends of the Earth have cranked up their 'Big Ask' campaign for a strong climate change bill. The Green Agenda has slipped from the forefront of public attention recently. New figures confirm that Wales has a global footprint that would require three planets is shared worldwide.

The global increase in fuel prices is causing a headache to all road users. Planned protests tomorrow included convoys of lorries on circular   trips dropping in to the Parliament and the Senedd. There will no MPs or AMs at home and the Senedd has no powers on fuel prices. Perhaps one of the reporters covering the protest will ask the pertinent questions.

How will the waste of a whole day in a journey that ends at its starting point convince the public that the industry is in financial trouble? Will adding to the daily misery of congestion increase sympathy for the cause from other road users. Are you indifferent to the threat of global warming?

There is a case that is already being made powerfully by other direct approaches to Government.

Quote

Comment heard on Radio Four about Misery Memoirs
"To become a somebody, you must first find your inner nobody"

Comments

[rwendland]

Could the BAE Systems supporters club be behind that email?

Seems like the MOD is finally running out of cash to buy yet more Cold War class equipment. i.e. Tranche 3 of EuroFighter (Typhoon) and the Type 45 air-defence destroyer (at £1+ billion a pop) - looks like they don't have the funds to buy as many of these as they say they want. I bet BAE would love more defence funds for these projects (as well as Nimrod and an Astute sub order every 22 months).

How has the MOD got away with still buying Cold War class equipment for so long. Who exactly does MOD think could be the opponent for extreme hi-tech air-defence? Flash toys for the boys still seems to be the game, rather than everyday equipment like helicopters.

[Pau Flynn]

Thanks rwendland. these are the great under-exposed scandals of our time.

I believe the total number 'ordered' was inflated in order to fiddle the unit price down for each Eurofighter. We have wasted £billions because of Euro-nationalism and the collaboration of politicians in agreeing to waste any sum of money as long as it means jobs in their constituencies.

I have repeatedly asked Defence Ministers who are enemies are likely to be. there are no plausible answers.