New Champion for the Veterans?

Honour heroic soldiers, MP says

BLACKPOOL South MP Gordon Marsden has backed two new campaigns in Parliament which recognize the brave work done by members of the UK armed forces and the rights of veterans.

The campaign to better honour our armed forces was launched this week and calls on the Government to continue to increase public knowledge of the work the armed forces do. Mr. Marsden welcomed the campaign saying: "Many people in Blackpool have family members who are serving abroad and I think it's right that we acknowledge their heroic duties."

Mr. Marsden has also been liaising with the Armed Forces Pension Group on the campaign to secure military pensions rights for veterans who retired from the armed forces before April 1975 with less than 22 years service. He said: “Generally, such veterans do not get a pension even though they may have served alongside a colleague who retired a year later than them – and that colleague would be entitled to a pension. This is unjust, and I think many people would agree."

Is this odious opportunism, or a genuine concern for the welfare of the ill-treated Soldier Pensioner?

I ask this because Mr. Marsden has ceased replying to my letters, even though I often accompany them with a stamped addressed envelope, and even though MP’s get £14,000 per annum for communication expenses with their constituents.

Maybe, just maybe, this self acclaimed expert on terrorism was miffed at my retort to his exclamation that… “he knew all about terrorism because he had been within two hundred yards of a terrorist bombing in London.” That, I replied, put my chasing Prodestant gunmen across the roofs of the Shankill Road, with no other protection than a wooden stick, rather to shame!

Again, maybe, Mr. Marsden had been an accompanying angel the night the IRA decided to show their power by attacking us in the Ardoynne, way back in 1971. Maybe, just maybe, he was amongst us when one of the hundreds of nail bombs exploded in our midst and left our CO in a permanent vegetative state, and many of us with minor injuries and deafness and deep a seated resentment of political interferences in military matters which have culminated in the illegal invasion of Iraq. Regime change is illegal.

I heard nothing from our illustrious MP over the plight of Johnny Gurkha, or the lack of scrutiny in Parliament that allowed a previous Labour Government to steal servicemen’s pensions, poor equipment for the Armed Forces – some military helicopters still have inadequate night flying equipment, C130 aircraft still have no fire retardant capability in their fuel tanks and the purchase of the SA 80/81 assault rifle is an insult to any competent soldier, poor housing and schooling for service families whilst MP's pushed through their own expenses and pay rises. One agenda for public debate, the other kept out of it by a more than compliant Speaker of the House.

There are reams of platitudes about the disciple of the British soldier. Having sat under enemy fire for a full night with orders not to retaliate – and obeying those orders - I find it odd that injustice is suddenly being championed by someone who would have been jailed for deviant activity, I.E. Conduct Prejudice to the Discipline and Good Behaviour of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces (for those who do not know what a 69 is, this it the Military Law section) had he ever served. As most MP’s appear now only to have served themselves, this belated conversion to the cause leaves me wanting to vomit.