Remembrance Sunday

On Sunday I attended the service in Bolton Town Centre, its always a poignant day for me, the most moving part of the service being the playing of The Last Post.Some other thoughts:

Remembrance Sunday is the formal occasion when we honour respect and express our gratitude to those who have sacrificed Self for Nation.

It is impossible for the majority of us to begin to understand the experiences of all those who fight and the impact it has on them and their families. It has , however, been well-stated  that “In war there are no unwounded soldiers”. (Jose Norosky).

It is therefore a privilege to honour, respect and thank the brave individuals who have fought and continue to fight for our freedom. These are ordinary people who do an extraordinary thing; they deliberately endanger themselves to protect our way of life. This is the ultimate gift they offer for us. The crucial question is what do they receive in return. What support does the government offer to these selfless heroes.

In June 2007 Des Browne, the then Secretary of State for Defence, was given the additional job of the Secretary of State for Scotland. The armed forces were unhappy as one man could not devote enough time between the two jobs. It was perceived that Gordon Brown must view defence as a low priority.

Gordon Brown responded to the criticism by saying “I will put my record in relation to commitment and delivery up against anyone’s.”  David Cameron would have to climb down a very long way to meet Gordon Brown on that moral high ground.

A few weeks ago Des Browne, the then Secretary of State for Defence andScotland admitted that the dual role was too much and asked Gordon Browne for the Defence brief alone. Instead on 03/10/08 he lost his place in the cabinet. Before this he had personally become involved in drafting a petition to the Treasury for £500m from reserve funds to pay for the purchase of 600 armoured vehicles for troops in Afghanistan.

The Snatch Land Rovers used in Afghanistan are lightly-armoured and were designed for use in Northern Ireland. Members of the SAS on duty in Afghanistan are quoted as describing the vehicle as “lethal and useless for two reasons – the armour does not work as rounds go through it like butter and it has no cross country capability denying us the element of surprise.”

On 17/06/08 Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, Corporal Sean Reeve, Paul Stout and Corporal Sarah Bryant were killed when two stacked anti-tank mines blew their Snatch LandRover in half. Due to this incident Major Sebastian Morley resigned from the SAS reserves based on the failure to adequately equip his soldiers.

The Snatch LandRover is but one example of inadequate equipment; one could mention night vision goggles and helicopters. This is not an isolated issue and it is the trend that is worrying. One army officer has written of a “breakdown of the covenant between the army and its political masters” he continues “It is outrageous, for instance, that private campaigners are having to raise funds for more facilities at

(a military hospital in Surrey) to help rehabilitate soldiers wounded in the current conflicts.”

In conclusion, the Government has made great play of voicing its support for our troops, however, senior soldiers are publicly questioning this. Our soldiers deserve the best equipment we can afford and to be part of the procurement process.

Aristotle wrote in the 4^th Century BC “We make war that we may live in peace”. Our soldiers make war that we in this country may live in peace. We honour, respect and thank them. These words should be matched by deeds.