red arrows article

[Mountain Wings]

Wales online news is running an article saying our 9 million pounds reds should be binned. The poll at the bottom is interesting tho.

[Vox Populi]

Link:

WalesOnline - News - Wales News - Scrap £9m Red Arrows, says Plaid MP (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2010/08/10/scrap-9m-red-arrows-says-plaid-mp-91466-27030152/)

[2Planks]

He could also consider axing 800 or so Army horses (together with ageing artillery pieces) or even the 13 million quid grant to The Welsh Language Board from the UK Government.

[Cable Tow]

The MP is Jonathan Edwards. These quotes are from his website:

"I am opposed to the militarisation of our county"

"As a long standing opponent of the Welsh Military Tactical Training Area which covers large parts of Carmarthenshire and allows aircraft to operate extremely low levels......."

"I will also campaign for the UK Government to conduct health studies in relation to hearing and cardio health as a result of low flying aircraft operations."

"I am also concerned for the civil liberties and privacy of the people of Carmarthenshire as a result of the land based air corridors."

[vecvechookattack]

[QUOTE]Figures from the RAF obtained by Mr Edwards reveal the force spent £4.6m on pilots and technicians, £1.2m on aviation fuel, £400,000 on dye, and £2.6m on maintenance in 2009-10.[QUOTE]


No mention of a T&S burden

[A2QFI]

Let Wales go Independent then. Let them raise their own taxes and spend them on whatever their Assembly thinks is appropriate. They can fund their own defence if they want any and get no money from the Central Government funds. Let them go it alone if they want to!

[6f1]

The reason Johnathan Edwards can have his inane opinions is because we have a military that protects our freedom and way of life,Mr Edwards from another branch of the Looney left labour party should remember this.
A better saving would be to disband the Welsh,Scottish,and Northern Irland assembly's

[LBP PC DC]

6f1

Speaking as one of the chosen ones (a jock obviously), I could not agree more with your sentiment. Yet another layer of expensive, inefficient, self important "public servants" to hoover up our rapidly disappearing public funds which could be better served propping up our beleaguered military, emergency services, health service and educators.

:D

[Trim Stab]

I'm not opposed to RAFAT on cost grounds.

However, I think RAFAT displays send the wrong signal in current times. It dilutes the message that we have a war going on in Afghanistan, where our people are being horribly killed and maimed for life.

At major sporting events where RAFAT currently displays, I would personally rather that public funds were spent on allowing disabled ex-servicemen to attend as VIPs, and that television coverage focused on them rather than the Red Arrows.

I don't wish to diminish the efforts of the Red Arrows - I just think that we should celebrate those who have made a bigger sacrifice.

[Pie Man]

No mention of a T&S burden

Thought that was supposed to be covered by the display fee the RAF charge to organisers.

π

[Wrathmonk]

Trim Stab

Do you know whether the sporting events have to pay for the Reds to attend?

What about the units who conduct ceremonial duties? Do you believe they should be axed? After all, being able to march or ride a horse has naff all to do with modern warfare. Neither does wearing a red tunic and a bearskin. Or being able to conduct silent continuity drill.

But all of this is PR - and good PR that helps recruiting.

If we're going to bin the funding of ceremonial duties and support to sporting events from the public purse then I would rather see the money going back towards a Defence Medical Service that doesn't have to rely on charity handouts to give longer term support to our wounded, and families of those killed, than giving the wounded the opportunity to be paraded at a 90 minute sporting event where those on the pitch earn more in a week than most Servicemen in a year.

Priorities. Long term care not short term glory.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

Figures from the RAF obtained by Mr Edwards reveal the force spent £4.6m on pilots and technicians, £1.2m on aviation fuel, £400,000 on dye

Perhaps if £400,000 had been spent on Dai, he'd have been OK?

Trying to explain the difference between cost and value to the likes of yer man Edwards would be totally pointless.

[JTIDS]

Perhaps he should consider what would be the effect on the economy of a certain Welsh island if all the Hawks were to be moved elsewhere... I'm fairly sure Lossie or Kinloss would take the boost to the economy quite happily!

[WannabeCrewman]

After Anglesey Aluminium went, Valley, Wylfa and the port at Holyhead are the only real major employers in Anglesey.


...Only Virgin ever to come out of Holyhead was the train.

[VietTaff]

In 93/94 when it was decided either Valley or Chivenor would go it was incredible how quickly 95% of North Wales changed their minds and wanted the Air Force to stay at Valley.

It’s strange because it happened immediately after the local press published what would happen to the Anglesey / North Wales economy if the millions of £’s contributed from Valley dried up.

[andrewmcharlton]

Memories of "Failed in Wales on Not the Nine O'Clock News for our beloved MP.

[Neptunus Rex]

From Jonathan Edwards' biography:
After completing his academic studies, Jonathan worked as Chief of staff for Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM and Adam Price MP for 7 years, where he led on political matters for both elected members. He has a wide understanding of Parliamentary and National Assembly politics.Another career politician with an arts degree and no proper job experience.

[[email protected]]

I don't think much of the Reds' nav either, they managed to miss Chivenor completely today!!!

[melmothtw]

"Let Wales go Independent then. Let them raise their own taxes and spend them on whatever their Assembly thinks is appropriate. They can fund their own defence if they want any and get no money from the Central Government funds. Let them go it alone if they want to!"

Careful, that sounds like democracy to me you pinko.

[bvcu]

Probably find all ceremonial /display units will be under close scrutiny now , after all the navy lost their historic flight a few years ago , now not funded by the taxpayer . Wouldnt want to see any of them go for sentimental reasons , but the figures on the Reds are interesting in that the mantra for a few years has been that they were self funding.

[chiglet]

Was at the Rhyl Airshow last Sunday [8/Aug] and the Reds were sheer Magic :D
Now that is what I call turning Fuel into Music...the Sound of Freedom.
BTW [AFAIAW] the benifitting? Charity is the RNLI
Oh yes, you could hardly move for the peeps....[Scouse and Mancs, no doubt], but they DO contribute to the Welsh economy.....Mr PC Edwards

[The Old Fat One]

In the mid nineties I participated in a masters degree program and one of my class mates was a young female student around 19 or 20 years old. She was hell bent on a political career and now in her mid thirties she represents us in one of the ever many "democratic" institutions which govern us. With a staff of nine and a salary/expense package of considerably more than your average Westminster MP she is now a lady of some import who gets to expouse her views on a global stage. Since I suscribe to her Facebook page I get to see her many posts/twits and blogs, all of which are drearily predictable and all of which confirm that these graduate career politicians know virtually nothing about how the world works, what constitutes true leadership and how the vast majority of us (irrespective of political persuasion) wish to be governed.

I honestly don't know what scares me more...her utter conviction that she knows best and is qualified to be a member of the political elite, or the near certainty that one day she will fill a position of real power.

[NutLoose]

Define self funding, you have to take into account the revenue they generate from both publicity, and overseas sales of the Hawk.

The Old Fat One (http://www.pprune.org/members/217364-the-old-fat-one)

Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 125


In the mid nineties I participated in a masters degree program and one of my class mates was a young female student around 19 or 20 years old. She was hell bent on a political career and now in her mid thirties she represents us in one of the ever many "democratic" institutions which govern us. With a staff of nine and a salary/expense package of considerably more than your average Westminster MP she is now a lady of some import who gets to expouse her views on a global stage. Since I suscribe to her Facebook page I get to see her many posts/twits and blogs, all of which are drearily predictable and all of which confirm that these graduate career politicians know virtually nothing about how the world works, what constitutes true leadership and how the vast majority of us (irrespective of political persuasion) wish to be governed.

I honestly don't know what scares me more...her utter conviction that she knows best and is qualified to be a member of the political elite, or the near certainty that one day she will fill a position of real power.


In one, we used to have Mp's that had worked for a living and understand how the world revolves, that has long since gone, Myself I would like to see a system similar to the US president where they are allowed a couple of terms and they are gone.... at the end you got the feeling the Labour t*ssers had simply ran out of ideas on how to spend money so were then launching hairbrained scheme after hairbrained scheme just to show they were doing something whilst costing us a fortune, those housing packs for one, the idea of chipping a wheely bin for another, did they wheely think people would simply pay and not fly tip....... what planet were they on?

[The Old Fat One]

Nutloose,

Nicely put, but I'd take issue with the implication that the problem is the hallmark of Labour.

One of the most prominent rendition's of the graduate politician was a certain Tory whose sum total of working life was two years in an oil company between spells of creeping up to the political elite, before he snuck into a safe seat.

Said dude, a lying hyprocrite, came within a gnat's tadger of leading his party and potentially therefore, becoming our Prime Minister. Once it became obvious he had shot his bolt, he turned his "talents" to making millions out of his status via corporate positioning and the media.

Billy Connolly once said that the desire to be a politician should automatically disqualify you and some American dude, whose name I don't know, said that the best way to select a representive body was to pick names at random from the phone book.

They both have a point.

[ian16th]

Y'all can inform Mr. Edwards of your opinions at:

Contact Me (http://www.jonathanedwards.org.uk/contact-me)

Please don't be too rude.

I'm pausing and creating my choice of words in an off line document, when I'm satified, I'll cut and paste my choosen words.

[ian16th]

A posting from the RAF Boy Entrants Association mailing list, where this same matter is the subject of disscussion, a not un-biased group :ok::

Scrap Red Arrows, says Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards

This chap is my local MP. and has only recently been elected. Most if not all the Welsh MP's have recently been throwing their toys out of the pram.
This is because of the LFA7 (low flying area 7) which covers most of the west and south west Wales . It all came about because somebody in the LFA (Mac loo[p) brought up the subject of low flying aircraft in that it was making her deaf and frightened the sheep and kids... What makes be cross is that the LFA has been their for ages certainly longer than she and many others who have moved into the area in recent years.. They are the same type of people who move next to an airport then complain about the noise..... Tossers the lot of them...
Aircraft overhead "The sound of freedom"
GREAT bring it on

[The Old Fat One]

Re the posts about MP selection....you're gonna love this...

I mentioned I have an MEP on Facebook. Well they have just posted a supportive to link to a female trying to get on one of the main political parties candidates list.

Out of university two years ago, (out of high school 6 years ago). Work experience 18 months as a gofer for an MEP (that's it!). Considers herself well qualified to represent a Scottish constituency at the next election.

And people wonder why I don't vote.

PS why when you type in Face Book does it change to Face Pprune?

[SRENNAPS]

Scrap Red Arrows, says Plaid Cymru MP Jonathan Edwards

The MP should have come down to North Cornelly this weekend to see our famous Gambo Racing event. Then he would have seen first hand the kind of impact that the Red Arrows has on the general public.

The all civilian team put a great deal of time and effort into their “Red Arrow” and they were extremely proud of it.

Scrap the Red Arrows and the inspiration to do things like this will be gone forever.

Thank you to the Team for their display and kind permission to allow me to post these photos.

Mods - Sorry for the size of the pics.



http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a417/Martinspans/Gambo%20Racing%20Day%2029%20Aug%2010/DSCF3981.jpg

http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a417/Martinspans/Gambo%20Racing%20Day%2029%20Aug%2010/DSCF3971.jpg


http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a417/Martinspans/Gambo%20Racing%20Day%2029%20Aug%2010/DSCF3925.jpg





http://i1033.photobucket.com/albums/a417/Martinspans/Gambo%20Racing%20Day%2029%20Aug%2010/DSCF3936.jpg

[charliegolf]

Let Wales go Independent then. Let them raise their own taxes and spend them on whatever their Assembly thinks is appropriate. They can fund their own defence if they want any and get no money from the Central Government funds. Let them go it alone if they want to!

What has 'Wales' got to do with a self serving **** who would sell his granny for a vote? Bit of reality needed, but then this is Pprune!

CG