Major Morley.

[Al R]

By all means be true to oneself and do what is right, but I wonder if he has stepped over the line.

BBC NEWS | UK | MoD accused over soldier deaths (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7929785.stm)

<Speaking for the first time since his resignation, he argued that the military situation in Afghanistan was "worthless" and akin to the Vietnam war.>

[matkat]

If thats what he believes then that is what he should say at least he had the power of conviction to resign over it, the MoD says exactly the opposite so makes me wonder exactly who HAS overstepped the mark?

[Finnpog]

I agree.

He resigned - which points to his integrity - and now speaks for his conscience
:ok:

(unfortunately those are two concepts that appear mutually exclusive from current political life. It was better when the politicos had served the Crown in some other way BEFORE going to the Palace of Westminster)

[SubdiFuge]

Isn't (wasn't) he a reservist?

[Monty77]

I don't think it matters if he was a reservist or not. He's been on the two-way range which gets my respect.

If he has a private income and doesn't need the pension then he has the luxury of being able to speak out. And best of British to him.

Let's face it, we've all experienced the conflict of doing/saying the right thing and the reality of your situation/future promotion/not rocking the boat etc.

[Two's in]

The significance of him being a reservist is that his integrity remains beyond reproach. He chose to serve his country in addition to his usual lifestyle. He had the unique advantage of being able to judge the military strategy in theatre against a "normal" set of life values, rather than against a military career which the rest of us normally have to do. Unswerving loyalty is all well and good when you have to keep your head down and get promoted for 38 years, but it's interesting to see his comments measured against a civilian template. Nothing he has said is disloyal or seditious, it simply highlights the lack of duty of care being perpetrated against military personnel every day by this Governement.

Is there any material difference between using Snatch Rovers that are deathtraps, or C-130's that lack even the most basic safety measures, or Nimrods that are no longer Airworthy, or Warriors that continue to have uncommanded cannon fire, or body armour for everyone in an Operational area, or a basic infantry weapon that is reliable and sturdy?

These are not some untouchable or unaffordable tenets of Defence Procurement, these are the basic functions of providing the duty of care that serving personnel are entitled to. Major Morley took the hard choice and spoke for everyone whose life is being needlessly risked by the cavalier disregard this Government has for protecting those who execute its morally bankrupt policies.

[Monty77]

Two's in,

You are quite right. Don't get me wrong. I have moved on to pastures yellow and therefore have no issues about career paths. Maj Morley's stance is admirable. Given his rank and role, he is to me, automatically, a far better man than the pigs in Westminster who have 18 months left till the trough is removed. And don't start me on Euro MPs!

Incidentally, have you ever played the game of asking people who their Euro MP is? Or their actual MP?

[ADVOCATE_56]

"" Incidentally, have you ever played the game of asking people who their Euro MP is? Or their actual MP? ""

But therein lies the rub. The vast majority of people are too idle to be bothered to contact their MP to let them know that they are dissatisfied with something / oppose some policy/ want the MP to vote in a particular way. Our MP has suffered a barrage of correspondence from me over the past 9 years - he replies, lets me know if he can agree/vote as asked and he took the trouble to call by when he canvassed the street at the last General Election - and left assured that I would not be voting for him due to his party's policies.

Conversely, I have been treated like an idiot by stranded commuters at the village station when I have suggested that a letter of complaint to the MP might get something done. I've concluded that so long as the population get fed their diet of soaps, football and reality TV they can't be arsed.:rolleyes:

[Pontius Navigator]

Incidentally, have you ever played the game of asking people who their Euro MP is? Or their actual MP?

Actually I met Roger Helmer at our club a fortnight ago and had lunch with him a couple of years before. Then I had not realised he was an MEP. Thoroughly decent sort and had 30 years in industry before standing as an MEP.

Very honest he said how 90% of MEP think and vote for the EU Constitution against 50-55% of their constituents (and may be that was 50-55% against). The MEPs influence is neglgible. He likened it to a bus journey to London. He might move down the bus saying Manchester was a much nicer place let's go there. The response was if you don't want to go where we are going, get off.

[Trojan1981]

Two's In
Great post! Hit the nail on the head.

[effortless]

The significance of him being a reservist is that his integrity remains beyond reproach. He chose to serve his country in addition to his usual lifestyle.

I am so glad that you expressed this. Having been to three reservists' funerals in the past two years, I have been depressed by the attitude sometimes shown towards them. Thank you.

[Al R]

Finnpog,

I certainly wasn’t casting doubt on his integrity and/or that of Reservists. In fact, in Feb, Morley’s company announced a 3 year contract with the MoD worth between ‘£2m and £10m’ pa, so they can’t have been too annoyed with each other.

I have no issues at all with angry people speaking out (if done for the right reasons, and if done to be effective). War has ignited some of our most prominent and passionate conviction politicians (and god knows we need more of those right now). Churchill was disgusted at first hand at the state of how war was fought and how many post war elected politicians had their mettle and political rage forged in the hedgerows of Normandy? Mad Mitch was a first class constituency MP, John Profumo bought a subsequent dignity to politics that we are crying out for today and Wellington’s scathing master class to the public sits above my desk:

"We have enumerated our saddles, bridles, tents and tent poles. and all manner of sundry items for which His Majesty's government holds me accountable.. Unfortunately, the sum of one shilling and ninepence remains unnaccounted for in one infantry battalion's petty cash and there has been a hideous confusion as to the number of jars of raspberry jam issued to one cavalry regiment. This brings me to my present purpose, which is to request elucidation of my instructions. Am I 1) to train an army of uniformed British clerks for the benefit of the accountant and copy boys in London, or, perchance, 2) to see to it that the forces of Napoleon are driven out of Spain?"

But I listened to Major Bob Stewart on the radio yesterday and compared his approach with that of Morley. The former measured, paced and thoughtful and a long term methodical process that is more likely to achieve results. And the other? I don’t know – why now, again - apart from just having a rant? I asked if he had overstepped the mark because 6 months on, I wondered what his motives were and more importantly, how effective did he think he would be? Freedom of Speech comes with rights, but it also comes with responsibilities and from the comfort of the boardroom he has handed the enemy a PR coup by undermining the mission and that of the troops.

I'm sure it didn't take him 20 years to realise the MoD was an under equipped clusterf#ck – if he really wanted to play the integrity card that is. I have no insight into the commercial aspects here, but by straying back briefly, he looks a bit daft and the whole dreadful situation of under-equipping troops seems to have been relegated to something akin to a seedy, afterthought spat. Although judging from his rather stern expression, I’d rather not tell him myself.