Labour Duplicity When Dealing with the Armed Services

As British troop losses continue to mount in Iraq and Afghanistan, Labour has once again shown its’ complete contempt for our Armed Services. 

Several weeks ago Tony Blair promised to provide our operational forces with any equipment that they required.  It is well known that our troops have had to buy their own equipment or borrow from other allied forces.  The RAF has been forced to use inappropriate munitions, due to shortages, when attacking the Taliban and, as a result, risking the lives of our troops on the ground.  The Royal Navy cannot function due to overstretch, and is now totally useless as an operational force.  Tony Blair then rather un-surprisingly back-tracked on the earlier promise, and claimed that the Ministry of Defence would only listen carefully to the commanders on the ground. 

So, it comes as no surprise that Labour Defence Minister, Derek Twigg, has admitted that 4,000 marines serving in Afghanistan would be “disappointed and upset” that they would not now be receiving a £3,000 bonus as promised by the MoD.  No kidding!  What an astute assumption on his part.   

More surprisingly, Twigg also claimed that he “… understood how they might feel” No he doesn’t!  If he did, and appreciated their contribution in trying to make sense of the mess that is Labour foreign policy, the promise of the additional £17 a day for a mere 6 months would be honoured.   

Still, when did the Labour Party show anything but contempt for those in the Armed Services?  If more Labour politicians had served, or had family members, in the Navy, Army, or Air Force I feel that they might be a little more honourable in their dealings. 

Derek Twigg; hang your head in shame for your duplicity when dealing with our troops!