You couldn't make it up!!

[Fortyodd2]

Oh dear!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=499871&in_page_id=1770

:ugh:

Try and keep the expletives down in your replies.......................

[Crash alot]

dunno what else to say other than its a sad sad state of affairs shows how much of a joke goverment realy is

[Bob Viking]

That should be reason enough to hate him (Des - although Gordon's not exactly a fine oil painting!) surely?!
I'd give him a slap based purely on the size of his earlobes!
I really can't think of anything nice to say about either of them!
BV:mad:

[brakedwell]

With his vast experience of military matters he is grossly underpaid.:E:E:E

[airborne_artist]

Gentlemen - I've just emailed my MP on the matter. Please do the same, as regardless of your political leanings, the fact that the SoS for Defence is not 100% committing his time to his sailors, soldiers and airmen is an abuse of their dedication and commitment.

[BluntHawkMan]

I don't think it will make a rat's a*** of a difference but there is a PM's petition...

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/SoSDefence/

[Hot Charlie]

dunno what else to say other than its a sad sad state of affairs shows how much of a joke goverment realy is

I'd like to agree, but sadly, unlike our present government, jokes are normally funny.

They're a disgrace.

[D-IFF_ident]

In my spare time I enjoy writing novels. I'm not very good at it but would like to earn around 100K each year. Which JPA function should I use to claim my earnings from my second job, which is entirely unrelated to my primary?

:ugh:

[Al R]

Don't forget, Swiss looks after Scotland inbetween the evening news and Eastenders, so technically, he is entitled to a full MoD salary. :E

What an absolutely stinking crock of corrupt ****. I despise the whole corrupt, lying, self serving lot of them with so much passion and energy, that you could wire me into the National Grid and I'd be able to light up my local.

[sitigeltfel]

I though that the first duty of any government was the defence and security of its people. To have it relegated to a part time post speaks volumes of Broon and his sense of direction.

Anyone know how many of the current batch of Labour MPs have seen service in any of the armed forces?

[Al R]

Not many.

But not to worry, they're making it up as they go along anyway.

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2007-12-05a.186.3

Have they really got no inkling of how many people they're going to have, or need, beyond 2008? :confused:

[D-IFF_ident]

A link to writetothem.com:

http://www.writetothem.com/

Makes ity easy to contact your MP.

Cut and paste pne of the templates that follow.

[mutleyfour]

Thanks for the link Al R, I voted No surprisingly

[airborne_artist]

What are you on D-IFF?

I wrote:

"It's hard to know where to start with this government, but the fact that Des Browne continues to hold two ministerial portfolios is a total abuse of the hard work and commitment of the Armed Forces at this time.

Swiss Des as he is known within the forces (compare him to Swiss Toni of the Fast Show - http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/fastshow/characters/swiss_toni.shtml ) appears to show no understanding of the total insult to Service men and women that this arrangement delivers to them in spades.

I hope you and your Parliamentary colleagues will continue to highlight this situation.

All the best

AA"

[Tigs2]

How about

Dear MP

I read with great interest the fact that the S of S for Defence is paid his salary by the MOD, despite only working two days a week on Defence, the rest of the week being employed as S of S for Scotland. On having the matter raised in parliament The PM stated his Confidence in Des Browne saying that 'he was a hard working, committed individual, who could do two jobs at once'.

Well Mr MP, i have a proposal! As precedence has clearly been set, I suggest that all members of the armed forces should be allowed the same option, that is to don their uniform for two days a week, whilst being paid a 100% salary by the MOD. The other three days of the week, they could find some other gainful employment of their choosing. Just like Mr Browne, the members of our armed forces are also hard working, committed and able to do two jobs at once (in fact at the moment, most of them are doing 4 or 5!)

As Mr Browne refuses to step down as S of S for Defence in favour of a full time appointment I believe the above proposal to be entirely fair and reasonable. I am still bemused as to why we have a full time Culture Minister, but a part-Time Defence Minister.

[Bob Viking]

Your last sentence just about sums it up for me.
An absolute bl00dy farce as far as I'm concerned.
BV:mad:

[Captain Gadget]

See what Gordie and Swiss Des have been up to today...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1194346480

Gadget :ok: :ok:

[mr fish]

would it be asking too much to have a defence minister with service history,or would that be classed as a conflict of interest?:bored:. bunch of powermad f:mad:rs

[Rocket Chucker]

We all know only too well how high up Big Gord's priority list the services sit. I think that if we complained that the Scottish Secretary is spending too much time concentrating on defence matters this will strike a chord - Broon wouldn't want to upset his constiuents now would he?

He might loose his seat - with any luck.

Per Ardua

[Al R]

Mutley said: Thanks for the link Al R, I voted No surprisingly


Sweet, its now standing at 24 against. :}

Thanks Tigs. Its all too easy to forget to speak up..

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

.. but with your work, I have no excuses. I'll now fire something off.

Dear Quentin,

I am given to understand that the S of S for Defence is paid his salary by the MOD. However, despite working two whole days of each week on the Defence of the Realm, I was surprised to note that the rest of the week he is employed as S of S for Scotland. The PM has affirmed his confidence in Des Browne saying that 'he was a hard working, committed individual, who could do two jobs at once'. Which is nice.

However, as precedence has clearly been set, I have a suggestion. Could you table the following motion please? I would like you to stand up and remind the PM that the members of our armed forces are also hard working, committed and able to do two jobs at once (in fact, at the moment and as a direct result of the cuts imposed by your latest party, most of them are currently doing more than that). I propose that all members of the armed forces be granted the same terms and conditions, ie; they can don their uniform for two days a week, whilst being paid a 100% salary by the MOD. The other three days of the week, they could find some other gainful employment of their choosing.

As Mr Browne refuses to step down as S of S for Defence in favour of a full time appointment I believe the above proposal to be entirely fair and reasonable, don't you? I subscribe to 'They work for you', and will be keen to see how you address this issue on behalf of your many military constituents and their families. I am copying this to the editors of our local newspapers and look forward to seeing a refreshingly honest performance from you, on our behalf.

[maxburner]

Since everything this lot touches turns to crap, it's maybe just as well Swiss Des is only part time. If he did a full 40 hour week he could cause chaos and despondency.....wait a minute.....he did!

[Tigs2]

Al R
Thanks for re-wording my hastily written piece. It now looks ready to cut and paste and send to many many MP's:ok:

Useful link bye the way!

[Al R]

Yours was fine Tigs.. I just hate my spineless 2 faced toadish cur of an MP so much that your version was far too civil for him.

Its a good site, you can be e-mailed whenever (for instance) the words Royal Air Force are mentioned, and receive the transcripts. Straight from the horses mouth etc.

[Len Ganley]

Maybe Swiss Des thinks running the MoD is like making love to a beautiful
woman.

First you have to pretend to be interested in her concerns and desires. You need to make her think you have only her best interests at heart.

Then you have to give the impression that you are spending more time thinking about her than anything else in your life.

You try to seduce her with promises of gifts and tell her how much you value her trust and loyalty.


And then, when her defences are low and she's at her most vulnerable...........

Get behind her and give her a good sh***ing:E

[F34NZ]

Nice one Len.:ok:

:mad: hell the :mad: swear barrel's filling up :mad: fast. Would've ordered a bigger one if the RN hadn't bought them all.

Did like Lord Guthrie's quote : 'Can he really understand how serious the situation is...' Well actually Chas, I really don't think he does. That's the fugging problem ! Damn, another pound gone...

[TMJ]

Chaps,

A general strategic point, not related to any specific issue: cut'n'paste letters to MPs are not a good idea, or at least not as good as using one's own words. See here (http://www.writetothem.com/about-qa#formletters) for reasons.

[Al R]

Fair point, although we'd be writing MPs across the entire country I imagine.

This though, annoyed me.

"MPs rather naturally take a sudden influx of identical or similar messages with a large pinch of salt, since they know that what they are seeing is stuff from a minority of constituents who are either impassioned/neurotic about the topic concerned.."

Are they really saying that they trivialise for instance, the feelings of some locals up in arms about the closing of an A&E? Perhaps they would rather take more notice of one man who is annoyed about dog poo on the pavements because thats easy to deal with, presumably.

Politicians - out of touch these days? No way! :rolleyes:

[moosemaster]

Well, here was my short but sweet reply. Can't use too many big words though, he is a politician after all.

"I read with some dismay that the S of S for Defence is currently employed within 2 roles. I know that you have already highlighted this issue in Parliament and would ask that you keep doing so.

It is nothing but a blatant insult to the dedication and commitment of all the members of the Armed Forces that their S of S allocates a mere 40% of his time to a job of this magnitude.

Please ask the PM when was the last time that a wrong decision by the Scottish Office cost someones' life."

Just as a matter of interest, Defence minister or not, how many MPs, of any ilk, have ever served in uniform?

[f27bmaw]

Hello

Many many years ago I worked for an MP as a researcher, and the advice not to use `cut and paste' type letters is sound, although back in the days I was doing this, it wasn't cut and paste but photocopied letters that were the issue!

The writetothem website is probably underestimated the size of the problem for MPs when it says that they only get 50 letters a day - that was probably what MPs were getting 20 years ago and now with the advent of email and numerous websites urging people to write to their MP, their daily correspondence is much bigger.

As a consequence, a MP finds himself having to prioritise the 'case work' that they have. Because of this, someone who takes the trouble to compose a letter / email is always going to be viewed in a better light than a cut and paster simply because they have taken the time and trouble of doing this, whereas they know a cut and paste job can be done quickly, and so they tend to assume that the issue is more important to someone who as composed their own letter.

And not least, composing a letter allows you to personalise it, and explain why this is an important issue that they should address. MPs are asked to get involved in a large number of issues, and the demands on their time are such that they will only be able to directly involve themselves in a small number.

A further problem is the political issue associated with this. If a Labour MP takes it on, thy are challenging the Government, so there is a potential risk to their career. If it is an opposition MP then they are going to be pitting their wits not against an individual, but against the might of the MOD when it comes to defending the minister against the opposition then everything will be deployed in the minister's defence, and the last thing that the MP will want to do is make himself look foolish as a consequence.

The best way to get a response is to end the letter by saying that you will be phoning his constituency office to make an appointment to meet with him to discuss this further. Ensure that you do (and that when you make the appointment you let them know that you wish to discuss the contents of the letter) and when you meet with him make sure that you are fully briefed on the issue and can explain why his help is needed, what you need him to do and why it is important. And, even if he is a Labour MP, be totally unpartisan about it.

I'm sorry that this is a long post, and I'm sorry if it appears to be defending MPs who don't seem interested in their constituents - it isn't meant to be. Most are, however, very busy (despite what the media claim and seek to portray) and if you are to get a result from dealing with an MP you need to know how to approach them to get that response.

[Rather be Gardening]

f27bmaw,

Thanks - a useful insight into how to make the system work.

[bushbolox]

Gents some of you are bleating about the armed forces getting a second job as well.
As 60%of your operational capacity is from the TA I would suggest they already have.
It also means Mr part time Brown is the perfect man for the job.
Now despite the fine work you are doing on behalf of the government not many people, other than relatives and the odd right wing celeb really give a toss, not an insult just a fact.
The solution would be to leave , stop bleating and join the TA. Part time work as a soldier and civvy job of your choice, and u still get to shoot at foreigners. Or just leave and they would have no one to fight their dirty little middleclass war.
Hope this helps.

[brakedwell]

bushbolox - most do have two jobs. An Officer and a Gentleman.

[Never Alert]

Al R,

I've just emailed my MP with a cut & paste of your message.

I couldn't think of a better way of putting it, thankyou!!!

[shawtarce]

If he's being paid by the defense budget then that must be his primary job, which makes scotland his secondary duty.

We all know that if you want to get promoted, its your secondary duties that count. Performance in your primary role is often neglected, so what does he care.

I wonder if he's running a girl guides knitting group on a sunday, and MP in charge of the tiddlewinks club?

:ugh::ugh::ugh:

[SirToppamHat]

f27bmaw
The best way to get a response is to end the letter by saying that you will be phoning his constituency office to make an appointment to meet with him to discuss this further. Ensure that you do (and that when you make the appointment you let them know that you wish to discuss the contents of the letter) and when you meet with him make sure that you are fully briefed on the issue and can explain why his help is needed, what you need him to do and why it is important.

I don't doubt this is good advice, but there are 2 significant problems:

1. Many members of the armed forces are effectively disenfranchised - I would guess that a good 50% don't even have a vote any more because they aren't registered. I would guess that most constituency staff look at the electoral roll when receiving letters and I presume they discount those who aren't.

2. Of those who do maintain the vote, the easiest way is to stay with one constituency throughout your time (the one you were in before joining). Unfortunately, though, this will normally mean you are hundreds of miles away from the constituency office such that what you suggest is simply not practicable.

It was suggested some time ago on this forum that the best way to get the attention of a particular MP (eg SoS Def), was for us all to register as voters in his/her constituency. If 50% of the RAF registered, that would be about 20,000 people, enough to scare most MPs sh!tless. Can't recall if there was some reason this wouldn't be allowed though...

STH