I'll buy that man a pint

[mystic_meg]

..if I ever meet up with him. At last, someone who is prepared to show the politicos in no uncertain terms that enough is enough. Well done sir!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1838909,00.html

(edited to say that it seems to be ok to supply these vehicles to the Iraqi police, but not to our own troops - disgraceful, especially considering the tragic outcome that this unit suffered as a result. Mr Blair, you should hang your head in shame - but there's as much chance of that happening as there is of these vehicles being supplied to the people who need them.) :mad:

[Farmer 1]

From the article:The Ministry of Defence says frontline troops cannot have the armoured Land Rovers BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT UNSUITABLE for use off-road, but six weeks ago Britain supplied a number of the vehicles to Iraqi police in Basra. (My capitals.)

That just about says it all.

[Wyler]

It makes me sick to the core. The Armed Forces are THE ONLY Government dept that is efficient, hard working and loyal. We get shafted at every turn. Try denying some useless Civil Servant in any other dept a bit of kit (pencil sharpener) and there would be all hell let loose.
Good on the Colonel but I fear it will have the same impact as a sardine fart in mid atlantic.

[truckiebloke]

It still baffles me as to why over 2 years on, we are still living in tents and simply scraping by on less than the bare minimum.

Only the very important people get the armoured landrovers after all.....

[BEagle]

But Mrs Bliar has an armoured Omega to cart her around to the gym....

From today's Sunday Times:

The gym, James! Cherie gets chauffeured armoured car

Jon Ungoed-Thomas


CHERIE BLAIR has become the first prime minister’s spouse to be given an official government car and driver for her personal use, including shopping trips and visits to the gym.
Use of the car, a bullet-proof Vauxhall Omega, is estimated to be costing taxpayers more than £50,000 a year. She also has the use of a Ford Galaxy people carrier as backup.

The government disclosed the information last week after a freedom of information request by The Sunday Times. She was given the car in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks but the perk was never disclosed.

A Cabinet Office spokesman confirmed last week: “The prime minister’s wife has been allocated a government car. Prime minister’s spouses have not previously had [official] cars, but it’s a recent change we have made in the light of a security review.”

Cherie Blair has long been critical of the scant government resources available for the prime minister’s “consort”.

In The Goldfish Bowl, her book on life in Downing Street, she says the contribution of prime ministerial spouses has never been recognised as “worthy of support by the state”.

Opposition MPs reacted to news of the perk by calling for more transparency over her role and her exact cost to the public purse.

Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat MP, said: “The same rules of disclosure which apply to ministers’ use of cars should apply to Cherie Blair. We should be told what car she can use, in what circumstances she can use it and what it costs the taxpayer.”

Cherie Blair initially used her own Ford Focus and the family’s Chrysler Voyager when her husband entered Downing Street. Norma Major was not so lucky. She had personal protection during her time at No 10 but never her own car. On the occasions she used an official vehicle for her own use she was invoiced.

Denis Thatcher, too, was excluded from the official car club. Despite the real threat from the IRA, he could often been seen strolling along Whitehall to meet his friends at a club or would take the bus using his senior citizen’s pass.

The cars used by Cherie are understood to have been modified for security. The most common alterations are bullet-proof glass, armour plating and special tyres.

The prime minister and other senior Cabinet ministers are entitled to Jaguar cars.

Other cabinet ministers are placed in the lesser “Omega class”. Gordon Brown is also driven in a Vauxhall Omega, having turned down the option of a Jaguar.

Are the Americans still living in tents in Iraq?

Interestingly, some of the newer Landrovers in the Malvinas (the ones aircrew never get to drive...) have the words "Not to be used off-road" on the dashboard. When I asked why, I was told that the warranty provided by the supplier was not valid off-road for the first 3 years of the vehicle's life.......

A Landrover which mustn't be used off-road? What utter ar$e agreed to such a contract?

[Farmer 1]

A Landrover which mustn't be used off-road? What utter ar$e agreed to such a contract? Are you serious? A CIVIL SERVANT, YOU FOOL!

[Wyler]

Here's a law we should pass.

Every outgoing PM, plus family immedialtely loses ALL police/security force protection and priveleges when out of office.

Maybe then the B******S will sit up and pay attention.

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

You may well be able to buy that man a pint, he just took voluntary redundancy. So no doubt he'll be down the pub somewhere. I wonder why he went........................

NEO

[sycamore]

I`m a little surprised all you guys haven`t picked up that `double negative` in `not unsuitable` for off-road use....
Anyway, unless they are fitted with` bog-tyres` as fitted to most Falklanders L/R, then they may well be `not suitable` for off-road use.

[RileyDove]

Send all the offenders somewhere 'hot and dangerous' - oops they are already!

[mystic_meg]

I`m a little surprised all you guys haven`t picked up that `double negative` in `not unsuitable` for off-road use....

..I had actually sussed that, but just put it down to a Journo's typo.

Still, nice to see that at least one 'leader of men' is prepared to show integrity and have credibility with his subordinates - a message that will no doubt be lost on some of his superiors and most, if not all of his political (ex) masters!

[charliegolf]

Mystic

He might be a great 'Tim Collins' sort, but resigning issues are generally easier to contemplate when you're wealthy, and entitled to retirement pay.

CG