Generals told to travel 2nd class
 

I'm surprised that this hasn't been raised!

Generals told to travel 2nd class - Times Online

Don't they all have access to staff cars?
Unsurprisingly, I note that it will not apply to MPs

Ridiculous
 

I travelled first class from Bristol to Central London for £14.50 last week.

In any case, I didn't know you could get Standard (working) Class on an Augusta 109.

Less use of the train, more trade for boys from Northolt then!

You may have gathered that I'm not a fan of our military senior management, BUT this is patently ridiculous.

Travelling time for senior staff is almost invariably working time - if the money grabbing, self centred political slimeballs can have it, then leave this (one of the last) privilege alone, it's short sighted, naive and downright rude.

I am SO finding all flavours of politicians to be worthy of less regard than pond life, words almost fail me.

This day and age is hopefully the nadir of regard for people of politics. I sincerely hope that they can't sink any further.

It's such a shame that the ballot paper won't have a box for 'None of the Above'.

I seem to remember that in the early days of New Labour that there was a plan to introduce the "None of the above" option to the ballot paper. I see that it has been quietly dropped. I wonder why??

Not entirely correct. Premier Economy is available as is Business class if your schedule and the flight time dictate otherwise.

According to the papers he should be appearing on a ballot paper near you, if you live in Chingford. 50-year-old Adam Osen has apparently changed his name by UK Deed Poll yo 'Mr. Above' with forenames 'Non', 'Of' and 'The', with the intention of standing as an independent candidate in Chingford and Woodford Green.

Story here:- CHINGFORD: Odds offered on name-change candidate (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

I'm not sure Sir Nicholas Winterton would agree

Hey guys, calm down. The senior officer has only given thirty years or so service to the country, probably (almost certainly) been under fire, and faced many dangers and hardships. The newly-elected MP has served the country for thirty minutes, and the greatest danger has been a heckler at a constituency meeting. Of course the MP should have first-class.

I'll look forward to seeing this in the next issue of Prime Minister's Regulations for the Royal Air Force.

A couple of weeks ago I undertook a journey on the East Coast mainline. Open Return tickets were:

1st Class £325
Standard £225

I am (was?) entitled to travel 1st Class, and did so, but by booking 2 x single tickets in advance, planning carefully and accepting a degree of risk, I did so for £86.

Next time, I think I will leave it later, travel Standard and let Gordon manage the risk.

By the way, I can't see too many generals (or airships) travelling by train Standard Class.

STH

This little gem, with the abolishment, sorry, realignment of Overseas IE with UK IE and other various adjustments, indicates that the thin end of the wedge is well and truly embedded. The hammering will now start in earnest.

Those that were entitled to 1st Class travel, whether you like it or not, have now, I believe, lost it forever. No Defence Minister of any colour is going to allow money to be spent in what might be perceived by the Treasury as a backward step...'and anyway when you were all travelling Standard it didn't make any difference!'

There will be much more to come...and mostly by stealth or trickery.

:cool:

"Those that were entitled to 1st Class travel, whether you like it or not, have now, I believe, lost it forever. No Defence Minister of any colour is going to allow money to be spent in what might be perceived by the Treasury as a backward step...'and anyway when you were all travelling Standard it didn't make any difference!'"

Sorry, but as one of those affected by this, I'm finding some of the reaction across the media and t'interweb a bit hysterical. People are always slagging off the MOD to save money, claiming we waste it. A PR option is taken to save a lot of money, rather than having to cut a capability, and people start getting upset.

I've seen a lot of righteous indignation today, but no one seems to say what is really being lost beyond a nicer seat. The journey time is the same length, and sure its a nicer space, but does this really affect your work that much?

Just remember that a few years ago MOD was in the media firing line for not stripping people of 1st class travel, now it is in the media firing line FOR stripping people of first class travel!

Iffin you want the best leading, you need to pay them accordingly. This applies to benefits as well.

I think that the generals should check their contract of employment (or whatever passes for one in the armed services)

My bet is that first class travel is contractual for those officers and cannot be taken away by one of the freeloading MP's, even from a Scottish village.

Any legal action in this matter could be worth thinking about. It wouldn't cost too much for all of them to chip in with a decent lawyer.

Civil Servants
 

I bet the senior civil servants have not lost this perk. (Sir Humphrey won't allow it). You can imagine it on a MOD team on a trip: Civil Servants in First, Senior Officers in Standard.

You've lost your bet there beerdrinker, we were briefed that it's pan-MOD - civilian and military. The MOD civvies are getting shafted routinely as well these days.

It would be nice to think that the people who make the most important decisions that affect soldier's, sailor's and airmen's lives might arrive at travel destinations reasonably refreshed and having been sitting in an environment where they can get some work done. It also goes without saying that if on arrival they have not been able to read their briefs properly or simply just make the wrong decision, it might cost the taxpayer millions. There is more at stake than the paltry difference in cost of a train ticket.

It sounds very much like someone deliberately giving two fingers to the military and is pretty standard these days for a Gov/Military relationship based upon mutual contempt.

If I remember correctly, in the Civil Service HEO (as was) and above went 1st class. As the CS would have you believe, HEO was 'equivalent' to Sqn Ldr/Major/Lt Cdr!

Jimlad1 - with you on this one. Damned if you do, damned if you don't!:ugh:

As for the "they need to work" surely most, if not all, the work that our Generals (and Service equivalents) work on must be at least at RESTRICTED level and therefore shouldn't be worked on in a public environment (regardless of class of travel!). And cutting the header and footer off doesn't declassify a document. Wasn't an Admiral 'bubbled' to the press/police when another passenger (in first class ....) read the document over said Admirals shoulder and realised there was more to it than the 'unclassified' document it purported to be.

How about they catch the earlier train, be grateful for the time away from the office (it's not as if there aren't plenty of other starred officers who can hold the fort!), enjoy the view, read the paper and then do any pre-work for the meeting in the correct environment.

Wrathmonk

In "standard class" - What planet are you on?!!!

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/m...in_785594c.jpg

Most of my experiences of "standard class" are sitting next to, or opposite, the individual below, who is normally accompanied by a 6pack of McEwans!!!

http://wdsc00116.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/8ace.jpg

Hence, I normally take my car for most meetings. :ok:

The B Word