Granularity Please
Whenur....
I'm not entirely indisposed to the thrust of your arguments, but I fear you are verging on hyperbole. In particular, I'm intrigued about these "representational duties you have to pay out of your own pocket", of which you speak (regularly).
What are you talking about exactly? How much do you spend each year on them? What is that as a proportion of your LOA?
Are you being ordered to do them - if so by whom (I'm not sure you can be ordered to spend your own money)? Or are you actually choosing to do them, because you think they ought to be done (and probably have been in the past)?
If the latter, may I suggest you just not do them - and report upwards that the UK/Service has lost credibility/traction/influence as a result of the funding withdrawal.
If this COA is too distasteful, or if you actually enjoy going to these events, perhaps you should just suck it up.
FP