For anyone with a taste for history and irony, the above very public debate is but a continuation of all the other debates regarding broadening the issue of flying badges. For a very entertaining and informative read, please see
Observers and Navigators: And Other Non-Pilot ... C. G. Jefford.
In my opinion it deserves a place on the bookshelf of everyone interested in the Royal Air Force.
There are several editions, the most recent is significantly updated [and may need a further update by the looks of the debate].