Why I am speaking out Against the MOD
Posted by Dari Taylor, MP for Stockton South, at 10:56, Fri 21 August 2009:
The MOD & Ministers have got it wrong. At a time when the British Armed Forces are deployed in treacherously difficult countries, mainly Afghanistan and to a significantly smaller extent Iraq, to even consider questioning the amount of compensation or to consider reducing it is absolutely unacceptable.
Along with many members of the House of Commons, I am making clear to the Government that if they are following the advice of senior military officers, the advice is completely wrong. Frankly this whole exercise looks as though the Government is penny pinching with the lives of our troops who are regularly very seriously wounded during service. This whole episode is outrageous and I am making it clear to the Secretary of State and the MOD how disgusted I am.
We have the best troops in the world and to consider not giving them all the support, help and financial assistance that they need when injured, is beyond belief.
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Posted by Doug Harris, 11:29, Fri 21 August 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Excuse my cynicism, however I wonder whether my MP's concern is more about 'how it looks' than anything else. Of course injured troops should get the best treatment possible. If we still had a health service to be wholly proud of and one which spent less on fancy foyers and administration (and claims for poor performance), this would not be in question.
Compensation is another separate matter. Everyone's budget is suffering in this recession and it's just a sad fact of life that sometimes 'compensation' (I hate that word) packages may have to be trimmed. I didn't notice any squeals of anguish from MPs when the budgets that control how much work I get as a self-employed person were cut. Perhaps if we weren't paying out more in social security benefits than are collected in income taxes, there would be more to help injured soldiers? Perhaps if I was reminded (clearly and honestly) what the purpose and strategy of our presence in Afghanistan is then I might be more solidly behind the above statement. Perhaps if we didn't spend so much on overseas aid, much of it misappropriated, we would have more to spend on soldiers? Perhaps if we didn't pay for so much immigration and medical tourism the same would apply? Perhaps if we hadn't ploughed billions into the banking black hole and let Darwin's perfect theory of survival of the fittest take effect, we wouldn't be having this conversation?
Until such times as this government stops wasting so much of our resources on administration, spending public money on promoting their own propoganda, helping the useless to the Nth degree and lining the nests of public servants (including themselves) they will receive zero mandate from me to decide anything.
Doug Harris
Posted by Nigel Groom, 11:38, Fri 21 August 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
We should take the money off the work shy all 6 million plus of them. I saw a program last night were they have cable tv with all the channels and were better off on benefits than if they work. Then you see our brave boys living in tents and getting less benifits than these scroungers, I know who should be living in tents, they would soon find work and get off their invalidity and find work!! N.G. Stockton on Tees
Posted by David Jackaman, 18:12, Fri 21 August 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Well it's about time our MP stood up to the government. It would have been better if she'd spoken up about the Iraq debacle and perhaps there would have been fewer soldiers requiring compensation and many still alive including Iraqis. When I wrote to Dari Taylor to protest before the Iraq war all I got in reply were copies of Tony Blair's speeches supporting the false WMD argument. Isn't it amazing what the prospect of losing one's seat will do to one's outlook.
Posted by A. Williams, 20:42, Fri 21 August 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
This seem to be typical Dari Taylor, make vocal complaints but not do anything in Parliament where she was actually elected to stand. Will she propose any legislation to protect compensation for troops, or will it be like her campaign to save the Post Offices, she protested vocally against their closure but refused to actually vote to keep them open.
She should try remembering she is an MP and help by pushing legislation in Parliament rather than simply making soundbites for the next General election
Posted by Eric Young, 14:41, Sun 23 August 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
I would sooner have firstly heard my MP speak out as vociferously against the fact benefits pay more that a minimum wage and encourage idleness and single parents. That as a result illegal immigrants are risking their lives to get into this country to join the gravy train. That our Christian heritage is under constant attack. That political correctness, diversity, health and safety and the pursuit of the humanist agendas, none of us voted for, are shoved down our throats. Of course our soldiers should be catered for at the head of any other agenda because they put their lives in line, it is common sense. The majority of the voting public agree but they also recognise that there is so much more that is not being confronted by our government and wonder if some MP's are selective in their choice of grievance and that the general views of the public are often not aired.
Posted by Graham, 14:35, Mon 24 August 2009: (Is this post abusive?) #
Amazing how a looming General Election can focus the mind. Where was my MP when "the boys" were sent into Afganistan?
What was to be the purpose of the UK deployment over there? What was the point, to destroy the drugs trade, to smash the Taliban, to bring a modern democracy to an area (not a country by any recognisable standard) of bandits and warlords. The Mayor of Kabul was imposed on the country by the American Oil Companies and the American President. Very Democratic indeed.
Our role is undefined and seems to encompass anything and everything. The Army has a Can Do mentality that the Government is exploiting, by mission creep.
Nice to see you have found your voice DARI AT LONG LAST
NOW LETS HEAR YOU SAY SOMETHING MEANINGFULL WHERE IT COUNTS
IN THE COMMONS
PS Advice for MP's whinging about lack of public trust and lack of a "living" wage. If they dont like the pay and conditions of the job then they are free to persue other avenues of employment. NONE of which will allow them a voice in how much renumeration they recieve.
Roll on the (revolution) Election