Council Tax Rebate Announced

[Al R]

Tell us when and the Freq please Dan.

There will be no real benefit for the troops. The Scotsman reports how neatly the MoD massages figures, and this business of shuffling money around is just another instance. The troops are supposed to be grateful that they are being given some money back, which they shouldn't have to cough up in the first place! Why should they be made to feel grateful when this little titbit is granted to them?

http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?...&id=1450262007

Since labour came to power, eqpt 'incidents' have risen at an alarming rate. A Hercules that can be shot down with a £200 missile, no helicopters, landrovers with no protection, and of course, no proper combat body armour for teeth arm troops. And yet look at this.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1290333.ece

While the living conditions of service families decline even further, while troops can't even rely on their ammunition working correctly, over £2 billion is being spent on nice new offices and canteens. How many battlefield helicopters would that buy? Of course, money has to be spent on modernising across the board, but where are the priorities?

I suppose we should be happy that the council tax rebate only reflects the part time our troops are away from their home. After all, Broon only sees fit to give the UK a part time Secretary of State for Defence (who can't even be arsed to attend a service to remember those who died in the Battle of Britain anyway).

[mutleyfour]

I think its worth mentioning it seems to be only for those personnel whom own their own home and not living in Service accomodation.

[tyne]

If you are in NE England, There should be something on Century FM in the 1300 news....100-102 FM.

There'll be something offered to our network for later in the day. Whether it's used is up to individual editors at stations.

[teeteringhead]

Thanks Dan, and for your implicit support.

...is that a shadow of Grays Lane I see......

Does your station "stream" on the net for the benefit of those of us outside VHF range of Geordieland...

[mutleyfour]

Thanks Dan , nice to see someone thinks its worthwhile highlighting!

[blogger]

Mutleyfour yes you are right 'only those in their own homes' see my first post.

At the end of the day 140 quid for 182 days = 76p a day

Makes for head lines but at the end of the day we as servicemen like to see the small print first.

251 UK deaths in Iraq and Afgan (so far)............... all for 76p a day...........

[Mr-AEO]

What/how much is this additional pay that non-UK NATO troops get? As this is a NATO Operation, why are UK Service Personnel in the same theatre not getting it?

[tyne]

www.centuryfm.co.uk Click on the map for the North East and there is a listening function on there.

I might have time to offer it to our our other stations for 1300. But it will deffo go out on Century Today with Stephanie Finnon.

Dan

[wobble2plank]

I thought Gordo's speech at the conference yesterday was also fantastic.
I was moved, nay almost to tears, at the sincerity in his voice when he promised to sort out all of the poor funding and mess that the previous D'oh! his Government has caused.

I cannot believe that after all these years that spin and bull$hit still prevails. As has been said before on this thread it is the 'Social' contingent that still get him elected to continue to screw the military for all it's worth.
Sorry to see yet another drop for the military under the guise of a 'payback', sad to say that I am glad I jumped when I did.

p.s. £140 works out at about 5% of my council tax, shove it up your ar$s Gordo.
Best of luck boys, hope to see you in the real world soon.

[Wader2]

Now if local coucils cared to take the initative and rebate 50% of the actual tax. After all the homes are now occupied by just one person or if a singlie it may even be empty or how about a full rebate?

[Al R]

I've just worked out why there's no rebate to pay.

When the troops spend 3 months in a shell scrape in Helmand, it can be argued by Broon, Broon & Co of Edinburgh that there is an improvement in their living conditions and that an increase would be prudent, not a rebate.

[tyne]

For those that missed it, there will be another report at 1700 which will go out in the North East and North West.

Again, thanks for your input on this.

Dan

[osbo]

Brian Sewell summed up the situation in Britain today nicely on a recent R4 prog about experiences of National Service:

http://195.210.38.41:2084//dl/e16285...%20britain.mp3


or here:


http://www.mooload.com/new/file.php?...ritain.mp3&s=t
Scroll down to "download link" and click on server 1 or 2.

[Al R]

Some interesting comments.

http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thre...20070925150256

[mutleyfour]

Read some of those comments and particularly had a problem with statements like:

"Nurses and Teachers dont get a rebate so why should Servicemen?"

Simply because the Servicemen/women are working overseas you numpty and therefore unable to have the Police respond to an emergency, take pleasure in walking a streetlamped road, put the rubbish at the bottom of the path etc etc.

[greycoat]

Truly disappointing to read most of those comments made by people ignorant of the true situation and T&Cs of miltary folk. The lack of awareness demonstrated probably means that most of the voting public will be taken in, possibly paving the way for other salami cuts to be made elsewhere as the offest within the MOD budget. We may not agree with the the US policy towards Iraq but it is difficult to fault their support towards serving and retired military.

[Mr-AEO]

From most articles I have seen, US 'Combat Pay' come from their Defense Budget. At least they get that at $250 per month, qualifying time = 1 day.

And, can we really blame Joe Public for not understanding the military? If they are against Gov't policy, they are not likely to be supportive of the Armed Forces are they. As with riots, strikes etc; I've never understood why Joe Public attacks PC Plod, it's not as if the Police closed the coal mines or are running G4 summits is it.

[VinRouge]

I believe nato pay, from those we have spoke to in theatre, adds up to around 50 Euro a day. Kind of P*sses on the op allowance doesnt it? Oh, and the same guys pay no income tax, which we do.

Frikkin socialists should be put up against my wall and shot!!!

[greycoat]

News24 carrying a pro- rather than anti military slant, emphasising the messages from serving personnel criticising the cheap political gesture. What chance the rest of the media may take up the story (Tyne excepted since he has already reported the topic)?

[wobble2plank]

The most distressing thing I can find is that Joe Public sees the military there as 'what the military wants' therefore when it comes to spending, T's & C's, manpower and equipment status, it is seen as 'well they want to be out there don't they'. It's all the big knobs in Whitehall that decide all this lot innit? Why should we fund them when they are having 'fun in the sun'

Unfortunately, there seem to be very few politicians with the balls to stand up and say 'Well, actually GI Joe doesn't want to be out there in the hell hole of Iraq/Afganistan/Dafur etc..., He wants to be back in the country that he's still paying council tax for, in the cr@p accomodation we charge him over the top for. It is us politicians who have decided to deploy the military and demand they fund the 'operation' from their ever decreasing budget while we tax the very people who are 'defending justice and fighting OUR war on terror.'

Funny? Seemed to be no mention of that in Gordo's speech either