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Ex-GR Nav, Wg Cdr (Retd) Paul Smyth, to run for Parliament
Wg Cdr (Retd) Paul Smyth, current UKIP Councillor in Norfolk County Council for Swaffham and ex-Tornado GR1/4 Nav, has been selected by UKIP to run for Parliament in the 2015 elections against the current incumbent, the Secretary of State for DEFRA, Elizabeth Truss. Details here - UKIP pick councillor to take on Truss - Politics - Eastern Daily Press
Made me think, are there any other recently retired RAF officers in Parliament? I cannot think of any and, if elected, it would be good to see an ex-light blue officer in the House. Good luck Paul :D |
Having known Paul in the past his choice of UKIP surprises me a bit.
Elizabeth Truss seems on the face of it to have done a fair bit of good in her constituency, so she may be a tough one to oust. |
Steve Baker, serving MP for High Wycombe is an ex RAF engineering officer, Tornado and Jaguar background.
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Beats selling Big Macs...........
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Originally Posted by jayteeto
Beats selling Big Macs...........
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...and have more contact with us!
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So ballast has other uses...
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TdotEdot
Made me think, are there any other recently retired RAF officers in Parliament? I cannot think of any and, if elected, it would be good to see an ex-light blue officer in the House. |
I had dealings with Paul Smyth when he was at RUSI - as head of their OPRE Programme. He seems a good guy, but again, UKIP? Probably a better chance of getting in to Parliament, to be fair.
Edited to add: In today's Daily Heil: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...upporters.html |
Most recent one I can recall is Keith Mans, who was a Tory MP from '87 to '97.
He'd been a Canberra and Vulcan driver (serving '67 to '77 IIRC), and subsequently was Chief Exec of RAeS. Think he's now Chairman of the Air League. |
Keith Mans was a cadet at the Towers, and I am currently in touch with one of his relatives regarding Children in Need at the kids' sailing club (Salterns) in Lymington. Small world.
Regarding the candidature of Paul Smyth for UKiP, I am reminded of the kid who told his dad that when he grew up he wanted to be a fighter pilot (probably applies to navigators too). His father told him to "make his mind up". cf UKiP - do you want to be a politician or represent UKiP. - members of UKiP will grow up sometime, and realise they are being sold a pig in a poke - but then they will find there is not even a pig! (IMHO and allegedly) |
Supporters of the main parties seem to forget that under Lab/Con/Libs policy the country has been brought to its knees, socially and financially. UKIP have some different ideas which some of us think may work, they certainly can not do any more damage than previous cretins.
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Whenurhappy - thanks for the reminder - have re-read, and no more impressed as last time.
Capt Scribble and others - IMHO none of the UKiP policies stands up to scrutiny - what they do is pander to the biased prejudices of, mainly, tabloid readers. What the current Government has done, faster than some would have liked, is to address the deficit they inherited and address the global financial crisis caused partly by bankers and partly by governments that over-reached themselves then borrowed their way out of the consequences. There is another issue that appears not to have been addressed directly, but is evidenced by the slow growth in wages and salaries - before the crunch we, collectively and internationally were paying ourselves over the odds, the UK given its poor levels of productivity, way over the odds. Rant over! |
Not having a go at Paul Smyth (who is a decent bloke) but a country run by UKIP would be like a country run by the local golf club or bowling club. Naivety mixed with xenophobia.
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Sir Clive PCC for Leicester!!! I feel sorry for them.
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I've flown with several navigators I would not trust, so I'm sure that one or two might have all the attributes to make an MP!
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Jason McCartney MP is ex-RAF.
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Ah, this must be the place for UKIP bashing for all those adherents to the three main parties ........
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Golf or bowling clubs would normally run a balanced budget or the management sacked. The present crowd have hardly touched the deficit and have allowed the £700Bn Government debt run up by Brown to balloon to £1400Bn. Its still increasing at £5000 per second. Those with a narrow view of the world can not imagine anything but Lab Con failed policies. Its time for a change.
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three main parties Right now Con/Lab are on around 33/34% apiece. UKIP are on 15% LD 8%, Green 5% From here. |
Watch out for Sophie Gardner standing (we stand for parliament, the US run for congress!) in the General Election for Gloucester as a Labour MP.
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Watch out for Sophie Gardner standing (we stand for parliament, the US run for congress!) in the General Election for Gloucester as a Labour MP. |
Nope!
http://www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Labour-s-Sophy-Gardner-eyes-Gloucester-MP-seat/story-18769154-detail/story.html |
First thought was, who?
Looked her up. Fairly typical ex-RAF officer CV, full of overblown hyperbole. S-D |
Thank you all for your replies. Although I am was aware of Sir Clive I was unaware of Keith Manns and the two current ex-RAF MPs, Jason McCartney and Steve Baker. I guess my ignorance was a result of not seeing either of the two current MPs speak up about the RAF cuts on national media whereas I have seen several MPs, all ex-Army, make quite a noise about Defence cuts to their old Service. Maybe I just missed them.
I just hope those future MPs who have served in the RAF, whichever party they represent, remember their roots and speak up for us as we go into SDSR next year. T.E. |
I just hope those future MPs who have served in the RAF, whichever party they represent, remember their roots and speak up for us as we go into SDSR n S-D |
Willard Whyte:
I stand corrected and should have said the three traditional parties. |
From Sophy Gardner's web-page, I will now add my own suggested spin [in italics]:
I grew up in South London. I joined the Royal Air Force after completing a degree in Geography, becoming an air operations officer [isn't it Flight Ops Officer?]. My first posting was in the South West at RAF Lyneham during which time I also deployed to the Congo. Subsequently I was posted as the sole RAF officer of the Ship’s Company of HMS Invincible which included a deployment to the Balkans in 2000. I was in charge of all RAF transport and refuelling assets worldwide at the time of 9/11 [Really?] and was subsequently awarded the MBE for my Service during this period, when I also oversaw tasking of UK assets in Afghanistan 2001 [along with many others, I hasten to add!] and the transfer of Milosevic to the Hague [did she personally oversee this or was she just 'there']. I became personal staff officer to Commander UK Forces Iraq 2003, visiting most Arab countries in the region. Subsequently, I worked on US-UK Air Force liaison working with the Pentagon. Later, I deployed to Helmand province, Afghanistan, to assist the arrival of the UK forces in 2006 and then went on to military staff college where I wrote my thesis on military intervention and the US-UK relationship, following on from an MPhil in European Studies in 1994. I then worked in the MOD in Media and Communications before taking command of operations as a Wing Commander at RAF Valley, Anglesey. During my RAF career, I was promoted at the earliest opportunity at every rank, was the first woman in every job I was posted to [is this something to brag about? I thought we were all equal these days?], and worked hard to ensure that I left the opportunities for those coming up behind me in a better state than when I found them. My best experiences have been working with my teams and colleagues, women and men from all backgrounds and of all ages [likely below 55, I would suggest?]. I am a graduate of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Programme. Frustrated with military life [that must be a different one that you have just 'crowed' on about then!] and the restrictions that imposed on my political views and ability to participate actively in politics [thems the rules since the English Civil War!], I left the RAF in 2011 and set up my own business working with Service charities [is that supposed to be noble? most people give their time to charities for free!]. I worked as the Event Director and Media Lead for the unveiling of the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park in 2012 which was a demanding brief working with many stakeholders from all over the world. I now work with a variety of charities and also volunteer at a foodbank. Since becoming politically ‘free’ I have campaigned actively and continuously for the Labour Party [because like all other 'champagne socialists' the other parties won't have me?], including campaigning during the Bristol Mayoral Election and working with the Shadow Defence team on Forces issues [how's that gone then?]. I was selected on 20th April 2013 to be Labour’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Gloucester, 38th on the list of Labour’s target seats. I’ve moved over 35 times since I left school and so I am very much looking forward to making Gloucester my permanent home [what was wrong with your native South London then?]. I am a member of the Cooperative Party and of Unite [sucking up those lovely Union votes, thank you], and an active supporter of the Labour Women’s Network iRaven PS. It is Flight Ops Officer - maybe she can't remember! https://www.raf.mod.uk/recruitment/r...tions-officer/ |
At least she has been on a few Ops, a lot more that can be said for most MPs. And no, she was not the first woman to be in the DMC/DPR(RAF) SO1 slot. IVLP - a week in the US? I'm not sure that I'd put that on your CV, although it does sound good.
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Lord Stansgate, Anthony Wedgewood-Benn, Anthony Benn or Tony Benn et al did his National Service in the RAF.
He would wear an RAF tie when talking about anything aviation, particularly Concord(e). |
And of course Norman Tebbitt, who flew Vampires and Meatboxes before his BOAC career (he also flew with the Auxies after his regular service).
Had the immense pleasure of sitting next to him at a Dinner in Westminster last year; amazing to chat to - 95% aviation and 5% politics! :ok: |
My wife has just told me of a definition of " POLITICS "
POLY --- Many TICS ----Parasites Just about sums it up. |
Ah! I vaguely remember her at The Towers, in the 90s! So she must have done bloody well to be:
in charge of all RAF transport and refueling (Sp - see me!) assets worldwide at the time of 9/11 and was subsequently awarded the MBE for her Service during this period. Bloggs:8 |
He'll make a great politician if he's a liar and a thief.
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Bloggs - think your dates are about 5 years out. She was doing BFT at Cranwell in the mid 90s. Strange that all that Pilot and Nav training isn't on that CV, along with other 'distractions'.....
Perhaps her career was a lot to do with 'right place, right time' (as are so many...); she stopped flying just as Ops Spt was taking off, had spent years in the flying training system and therefore stood out in a junior branch trying to populate the So2/So1 cadre almost from scratch. Against many of her peers she would have seemed experienced and capable, hence the rapid promotion. Maybe the job at Valley was a step too far - can't comment, wasn't there. Who doesn't exaggerate the good and attempt to hide the bad on a CV? |
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Tebbitt was arguably a very nasty piece of political work, when it mattered to a lot of people. Jury is still out on our recent history and his murky role in it, as far as I'm concerned. Its only in his latter, very elderly years that (some) peoples attitude have softened a little towards him, because he was crippled by the bomb, along with his wife-he didn't deserve that, who would?
Anyway back on the thread, vaguely remember her from way back when and good luck to her. iraven is a tory spook? Mole? Or just jealous? |
I thought the thread was about Paul Smyth. He had some rather 'old fashioned' ideas when I knew him. Should fit right in.
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They're a funny bunch in West Norfolk, and as Elizabeth Truss is held in very high esteem, he could have a fight on his hands! I shall watch with interest.
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