quick- our chance to yell!!!

[brazenhussy]

GO FOR IT RR mateys..........

Tell the Defence Secretary what you think
DEFENCE Secretary Des Browne was due to take part in a tea-time chat on the internet today on the state of Britain's armed forces.
The minister has agreed to be quizzed by the public as he prepares to visit Portsmouth naval base tomorrow.
He has already been asked to provide assurance on the future of the navy's premier port.
It comes after the prime minister said Britain needed to strengthen its ability to fight terrorism overseas, during a speech on board the commando assault ship HMS Albion in Plymouth last week.
The 'webchat' takes place from 4pm on the official 10 Downing Street website, and is aimed at increasing public participation in national debates. Join it at:
www.webchat.pm.gov.uk

 

[onions]

BH, tried that link. The page shown is for a web chat with the science minister on the 9th November!! Do you think Des Brown has chickened out?

Keep Striving.

 

[snorko]

http://www.webchat.pm.gov.uk/index.asp?webchatID=31

This link

 

[chockhead819]

waste of bloody time the moderator isn't putting questions on from people like us who know the truth.

 

[snorko]

Well, I logged on, posted a couple of questions, but.... bugger me, they never got answered. Check this out though:

"Diana Donald wrote: Clearly there is little respect for our armed forces by this government and morale is low. Our country needs defending, but with more demands and fall out escalating, what do you intend doing to change the situation? In other words you keep cutting our armed forces, including mothballing most of our ships, but demanding more. We are involved in a war which has little to do with the safety of the UK and I suggest you put more value on our forces, encourage recruitment and have most of them at home defending our country and our borders.

Des replies:
I completely reject the idea that morale is low. I have been out many times to see our troops on operations and morale is consistently high - and you will hear the same from their commanders and from anyone who has been out to see from themselves. Just assuming that because they are involved in hard fighting their morale is low is plain wrong and sells short their courage and professionalism. I also disagree fundamentally with the idea that the best way to protect the UK is to have the troops at home. I am in no doubt that the threats we face in this world are better dealt with as far away from our own borders as possible."

If Des thinks that morale is high he is mistaken. We all love doing our job, its why we joined up, and we want to do it to the best of our abilities, but the way that we are treated, that cuts are imposed and the way we have to beg, steal, borrow and use gaffer tape to get our units to sea is morale busting. Added to this is the fact that the government says it will support us then does the opposite!

 

[chockhead819]

3 questions sent No replies, strange how you can be ignored.

 

[snorko]

Oh well, at least morale is so high that all we would be asking is for some more work to do!!

 

[dhoby_bucket]

3 questions sent No replies, strange how you can be ignored.

Who said that??? LOL :grin:

 

[frayedknotarts]

Oh! Did someone say something?

 

[chockhead819]

i asked why the fleet had no fighter cover just Ground attack a/c, the troops are told not to moan about conditions when asked by visiting govt, morale is low not high as stated & its all artificial for visits, why was the navy being run down, are the govt going to allow argentina to retake the island because we are in no postion to defend them.

you know simple kind of stuff!

 

[onions]

In a previous answer DB stated that "He had visited the troops on Ops "many times" and that "Morale was not low". I ask how many times had he visited. Back came the answer, Three times to Iraq and twice to Afganhistan. Which I suppose is not bad considering the short time he has been in office.

I also asked that if morale was not low, why did troops get detailed off to be there when Bliar played Father Christmas. Back came the answer, DB can CATEGORICALLY say that morale is high!! All his commanders tell him so.

I also asked about the closure of Daedalus, Dolphin, Haslar and Sultan and the run down of the dockyard. NO REPLY!!!

Keep Striving.

 

[Greenie]

There is something in the news tonight about a joint services training school proposed to be built at RAF St Athan in Wales .

Something about Sultan being run down by 2012. They are apparently having problems with phase two planning which is costing of the civilian instructors . It was on MSN home page news.