A brave young widow's story

Did you listen to 5live, Stephen Nolan, last evening? If not, why not? You would have heard a discussion with a brave young widow Amanda Binnie from Belfast who articulated everything that is bad about modern society. She had bought a mobile phone for her husband to takwe with him to the battlefield in Afghanistan, they had married as recent as last December, and he was tragically killed earlier this month. O2 demanded payment if she did not return her dead husband’s telephone which was with his belonging still in Afghanistan. Fortunately there was a good resolution to this particular situation because the company involved was on the line immediately and promised satisfaction, but it was what was not said that irritates me.

She may not have said so by name, but the non-mention of Ssafa and RBL told me and reinforced all my prejudices at soulless, two top heavy institutions they have evolved into.

Listening to a Court judge succinctly inform the powers of the mighty Soldiers, Sailor and Air Force Families Association gave me and other witnesses no succour. The simple truth is they have become defunct especially in Lancashire. The communication gap between the all important caseworker and the mandarins in Central Office is wider than that between the electorate and the thieving mongrels at Westminster.

What is worse, there is nothing, no viable instrument in place to hold the hierarchy of Ssafa to account. So when I am told by former Royal Marines how proud they are of the leadership of Ssafa I ask if they have ever volunteered. Until they have they should stay stum and listen to those who did.