Iraq Veterans Denied Help

For those who have voluntarily worked closely with Iraq veterans, this story is old hat.

Recently, a caseworker for Soldier, Sailors and Air Force Association had to take that CHARITY to the Queens Court, for legitimate expenses - and not the glorified, rampant perk privilege that Members of parliament demand.

It was a simple case of a LIEN, the caseworker withholding files because the CHARITY could not guarantee the confidentiality of the clients claims; the Divisional Secretary, imposed on the caseworkers by the rank structure of Ssafa Central Office, was being investigated and subsequently imprisoned for embezzlement from DWP. Concerns about Lancashire Office of Ssafa were and are completely ignored. This is no reflection on the caseworkers, who are excellent, conscientious and exceedingly trustworthy.

In Ssafa's defense they claimed that this caseworker had overstepped his/her responsibility. If a caseworker, going blind into a situation, cannot give 100% to assist a whole family unable to help itself, then why do Ssafa have caseworkers?

To be told by Lancashire County Council that the caseworker had achieved more in six weeks than all the other agencies put together had achieved in ten years, is praise indeed while Ssafa, who would not respond to the caseworkers advances for advise, were too busy in Loughborough having a public soirée - first class and using donated funds - to react to the advances of the caseworker and subsequently the client and the clients family.

What made Ssafa's position worse was that they sent a highly paid official all the way up to the North - where the majority of recruits for the Army come from; first class, to spend time in first class hotels, to defend a case that was indefensible. More charity money that ought to have gone to worthy cases. The rail fare alone probably cost more than the caseworker's annual expenses. How does a Charity justify this sort of irrational expenditure, or sheer waste?

For more, read here.

Scotland fights corruption

I had almost forgotten that this site existed. Thanks to the contributors to Guido Fawkes for reintroducing me to a worthy read.
If Guido is correct today, the pigs have really wallowed in the trough.

Peter Hain's mother, 80, is on his payroll

By Melissa Kite and Peter Bryce, Daily Telegraph. Last Updated: 2:36am GMT 03/02/2008

Peter Hain employs his 80-year-old mother on a Commons salary of £5,400 a year, he has a admitted.

The former cabinet minister, who recently resigned after donations to his Labour deputy leadership campaign were referred to the police, has employed Adelaine Hain as a part-time secretary for 16 years.

Last night it emerged that more than 170 MPs - one in four - employ family members.

One rule for us, and no rules for them.

The next time you turn on your television and one of these two faced, lying bastards starts to waffle, remember, you do not have to vote for them. If they are calling the opposition racist, fascist, unpatriotic; spend a few minutes and listen carefully to what they are saying. Seven years of vilifying Dennis Shambley of Wigan has taken it's toll, even though Dennis is a former regular Royal Marine and just because he has the courage to voice his support for the British Nationalist Party.

Politics aside, if Peter Hain was an average pensioner, he would have the SS (Social Services) Fraud team swarming all over his case.

Treasury coup as barracks sell for £956m

The government has finalised the sale of Chelsea barracks to the property moguls Christian and Nick Candy and the investment arm of the Qatari government.

The £956m deal was agreed too last spring, however the government and the buyers had to sort out the legal details of the sale.

Selling the barracks for nearly a billion pounds will be seen as a major coup for the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence. In the Commons defence select committee’s report on the work of defence estates, it accused the government of underselling assets. Recent property estimates by the MoD had valued the property at £300m. The Treasury will receive the money, however a fair amount of it will most likely be reinvested in the MoD and Defence Estates in particular.

Read more:

The Conservative sold the Family Treasure, now Labour has sold the Crown Jewels; for what?

When the alickadoos of the Forces Charities are sipping their pink gins and having first class bashes with charity money, the needs and the aspirations of the lower ranks will be heinously ignored. There will be a thousand piss-ups for the powers, while the money raised will be squandered on expenses and legal fees. Our politicians and Top Brass have proven themselves incapable of being called Honourable. Just listen to the facile defence that MP Derek Conway is putting forward..."I did nothing wrong!"

I would like to take those words and his faggot son and greedy family and stuff them right up his arsehole. One of his BOYS might just like that!

Nato Today

clipped from www.defencemanagement.com New report calls for overhaul of NATO The report was written by a group of former NATO commanders including Field Marshal, Lord Inge, the former chief of staff. “Toward a Grand Strategy in an Uncertain World” accuses the current alliance of being crippled by decision making rules, inefficient financing plans and the complete inability to sustain long term missions. The main argement in the report however, is that NATO is still organised to fight a Cold War, not the 21st century war on terror. “No nation and no institution is capable of dealing with current and future problems on its own,” the report stated.

It is about time that the whole concept of Nato has to be re-evaluated. I am not for the disbandment of this organisation, just the debate. I am sick of ill-informed politicians dictating what I should think. Enough is enough.
What do you think? Or do you not?

Blackpool Jim?

The obsession the Evening Gazette has with Major Jim Houldsworth Royal Marines is disconcerting. Is that the man who organised the debacle of Remembrance Day in such poor taste and with catastrophic, erratic timing that the last post was played five minutes before the two minutes silence? Who decided that former soldiers should be entertained by the caterwauls of Cum Bai Yar, that managed to force former soldiers away in disbelief? I heard one real Major of Artillery say that he was never again going to the Blackpool ceremony because the parade was that bad. Yet the back slapping brigade thought it was GOOD. It was indeed that bad that only an imbecile would demand that geriatric standard bearers should parade 45 minutes beforehand. It takes two minutes to get the Old Lags into place with their Standards despite the vagaries of the weather. It does not bode well for the Veterans Week of Parades.
Who is this honourable, elderly gentleman?
Answers please to The Gazette
The Gazette Avroe House
Avroe Crescent Blackpool Business Park
Blackpool
FY4 2DP
Telephone : 01253 400888
alison.bott@blackpoolgazette.co.uk
It definitely is not Major Jim Houldsworth.

Sad World of non responsibility

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk C.diff boss fights for more cash The trust decided, after taking legal advice, to pay her six months' salary of £75,000 in a severance deal.

This is the sad end of the modern culture of not being able to accept responsibility for ones own actions. Or in this case inactions.
Would it not be nice to find a highly paid/overpaid NHS executive who will resign with a statement like..."I have ended my contract so that the NHS can employ ten real health workers to look after patients?"
No!
It will never happen.
A fat nurse said to me when I complained about the lack of hygiene on my aunties ward..."I did not do three years at University to wipe arses!"
"Well, " replied me. "If a nurse will not take responsibility, who does?
A friend of mine's nephew was casevaced from Afghanistan with serious wounds which will leave him disabled for life. The MoD has offered him a pittance in compensation, just about enough for a fortnight holiday.
Come Rosie Gibbs, are you really worth ten times that of a wounded Royal Marine?

Hardest course in the Military

clipped from www.mod.uk Military chefs wanted to run their own restaurant Following the success of Royal Marine chef Corporal Jeremy Hooper and his wife Jane in a reality food programme last year world renowned chef Raymond Blanc is once again on the lookout for a couple to join him in opening and running their very own restaurant.

I have never met anyone who has passed a cooks course - well not in the Marines. That's why they wear the dreaded K badge - for the number of members they have poisoned/killed in action.

Cleveleys is not Blackpool

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk 23 airlifted from ferry hit by giant wave as Britain's wild weather set to worsen Three rescue helicopters hovered over the vessel as it was battered by 25ft waves and 60mph winds.

Well done the emergency service, the RN and RAF crews. Spare a thought for the RNLB volunteers who would be out on a night like this.
Aren't you glad that it is not your politicians that we rely upon?

MP's expenses.

clipped from www.telegraph.co.uk David Cameron admits 70 MPs employ family David Cameron has revealed that more than 70 Conservative MPs are employing members of their family, as he joined calls for more transparency in the wake of the Derek Conway controversy. His announcement comes after the Speaker of the House of Commons refused to bow to mounting pressure to disclose full details of MPs' taxpayer-funded expenses. Michael Martin blocked publication of a list of MPs' staff in 2006 and his spokesman said last night that he had "no intention" of reversing the decision.

A step in the right direction!
A pensioner has to undergo strict examination to obtain their true rights, but MP's can give them £250 at a time without any scrutiny. THIS HAS TO BE WRONG.
THERE IS NO OBJECTION FOR SPOUSES WORKING FOR EACH OTHER AS LONG AS A TRUE RECORD AND RECEIPTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION AND INVESTIGATION.
GLASGOW MICK, TAKE HEED.