Gordon Brown - More faces than Big Ben's clock tower. (Troop withdrawal from Iraq)

Speaking from Iraq today, Gordon Brown said: "It is certainly our intention that we reduce troop numbers, but I am not going to give an artificial timetable at the moment."

Since when did it become Brown's policy not to give an artificial timetable?

In 2007 at a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad, Brown said: ''By Christmas, 1,000 of our troops can be brought back to the U.K. They have acted with great courage and bravery.'' As we learned shortly afterwards, Brown's statement was about as artificial as it gets.

I think Liam Fox described the situation quite well:

"Does this man have no shame? Once you read the small print you realise we are back to the same old spin. Five hundred of these troops have already been announced and 270 are back in the UK. "This is a cynical exploitation of our Armed Forces by a prime minister who puts the Labour Party's interests before the national interest."

As Iain Dale points out, Brown doesn't want to give an artificial timetable because: "there's not an election in the offing now, is there?"

Scotland - How to treat injured veterans - Free Buses.

Yet again the Scottish Government comes up with a policy which England should have taken the lead on:

From New.Scotsman.com:

Soldiers hurt in battle go free on buses

INJURED forces veterans are to be given free bus travel throughout Scotland, the Scottish Government announced today. The move comes as a proposed extension of the concessionary fares scheme for elderly and disabled people. Finance Secretary John Swinney published the terms for the review of the scheme, but said there would be no change to the eligibility criteria for those who currently benefit from the scheme. He said the review, set in train by the previous Scottish Executive, would assess how the scheme has been operating since its introduction in April 2006, and look at ways to improve the scheme.

Mr Swinney said: "The concessionary fares scheme has been a widespread success, bringing free travel to elderly and disabled people across Scotland."We now want to look at how the scheme can be improved even further. For example, I want to ensure that eligibility is extended so that injured veterans in Scotland are able to benefit from free bus travel."

I hope this policy is taken up by Westminster.

Teachers vote to keep Army "Propaganda" out of School.

Paul McGarr, a teacher from east London, is in my opinion, a tw*t. Speaking at the National Union of Teachers conference, this is what he believes Army recruiting materials handed out to school kids should say:

"Join the Army and we will send you to carry out the imperialist occupation of other people's countries".

"Join the Army and we will send you to bomb, shoot and possibly torture fellow human beings in other countries.

"Join the Army and we will send you probably poorly equipped into situations where people will try to shoot or kill you because you are occupying other people's countries.

"Join the Army, and if you survive and come home, possibly injured or mentally damaged, you and your family will be shabbily treated."

I can agree with the last one, the first three however are typical simpering from an ar*ehole who would not be able to spew out such crap if we did not have a martial tradition in this country.

Give OUR Gurkhas British citizenship petition.

Last year I posted several times on the subject of our Gurkhas and the appalling treatment handed out to them by the British Government. It started with the pitiful story of the government's refusal to allow VC hero Tul Bahadur Pun to come to Britain for desperately needed health care. Eventually Mr Pun was allowed to come to Britain, but only after massive pressure from the general public.

In March last year I posted the following:

The Ministry of Defence is to pay ex-Gurkhas the same pensions as British soldiers. Ex-Gurkhas Currently receive just a sixth of the average army pension (£984 a year) and many ex-Gurkhas say they are left destitute. The new pension deal will not apply to Nepalese soldiers who retired before July 1997, leaving many disappointed. Padam Bahadur Gurung, President of the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen's Organisation, said: "This is good news for serving Gurkhas, but not for the Gurkhas who fought in the Second World War and the Falklands. "There are currently about 3,500 Gurkhas serving in the Army and close to 20,000 former soldiers living in Britain and Nepal.

Every single day in this country 2,000 immigrants are given national insurance numbers.

Later came this story:

Yet another Gurkha hero, L/Cpl Gyanendra Rai, has been denied entry to Britain because he: "did not have strong ties to the UK". L/Cpl Rai was badly wounded during the Falklands War and discharged from the service on medical grounds. Members of the British Armed Forces receive a tax free medical pension if they have to leave the service on medical grounds. L/Cpl Rai served in the British Army but does not get a medical pension because he is a Gurkha. In fact he doesn't even receive a basic pension because he only served 13 years of the 15 required to qualify for the one sixth of a basic Army pension that Gurkhas receive.

During this week's PMQs Nick Clegg asked Brown: "Can you explain to the Gurkhas why on earth you believe that Gurkhas who served in the Army after 1997 are worthy of British citizenship but those who served before that date should be deported?".

Gordon replied: "Now why is the date 1997? It's the date that the Gurkhas - once based in Hong Kong - moved to be based in Britain. "And that's why we are honouring the promises we made for the period after 1997."

What a total and utter load of rubbish. Prior to the 1997 Handover of Hong Kong to China, the region was a Crown Colony, and those Gurkhas based there were serving in the British Army.

It is well beyond time to recognise loyal service to Britain, with equally loyal treatment of those who have served.

There is a petition asking the Prime Minister to give all Ex Gurkha soldiers and their families who have served our country British citizenship on leaving the service.

To sign the petition click HERE.

Elvis lives - British Army in Afghanistan Video.

This is a cracking video. It shows the kind of spirit shown by our army in situations many of us would find unbearable. (27 CS Regt, 7 CS SQN RLC, OP HERRICK)



Hit tip Theo Spark

Gordon Brown escapes attack on Iraq visit.

According to news sources coming out of Iraq, Gordon Brown escaped several "very determined" attempts on his life during his recent visit to Iraq. It is reported that the Prime Minister came under attack from small arms fire, rockets and mortars. An MOD spokesman said that the PM was extremely lucky to survive such a vicious and sustained assault.

The five former defence chiefs who criticised Gordon Brown over his funding of our Armed Forces, and his appointment of two jobs Browne issued the following statement:

"The fact that Gordon Brown has escaped Iraq unscathed only reinforces our opinion that the weapons issued to British forces fighting in Iraq are not fit for purpose."

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Wounded servicemen are hounded out of swimming pool.

Has our once great country sunk so low? I don't think that I have ever been so angry in my whole life. Read this and weep for your lost country!

I know that I used this quote in an earlier post, but I think it sums up this story:

'The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war,no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation'' --George Washington--

General Lord Guthrie - Our defence has been underfunded for years.

I've just had the pleasure of reading General Lord Guthrie's excellent article on the Telegraph website. The article is entitled: "Our defence has been underfunded for years." Lord Guthrie makes it very clear that unless funding is immediately increased to our Armed Forces, we could see them seriously damaged for some time to come. Here is a small extract of the Generals article:

Lately, ministers have been boasting about the extra money that has been produced for defence, but whatever has happened, it is woefully inadequate as far as running the Services today is concerned. It is not a matter for self-congratulation.
We find ourselves in a very dangerous world at the moment. Long gone are the days when we could remain safe in our own country, isolated from troubles elsewhere.
If the Government is really serious about defence and security, as the Prime Minister clearly said last week, funding must be properly increased or the Government will seriously damage one of the state's greatest assets beyond quick repair.

You can read the full article by clicking HERE. Please take time to read the comments section, they are as insightful as the article itself.

Why are our Armed Forces nearly 7,000 personnel under-strength?

Figures released today show that the Armed Forces are nearly 7,000 personnel under-strength. The Army alone is under-manned by 3,600. Shadow Defence Minister, Dr Andrew Murrison said: "With troops engaged in two major conflicts these figures are extremely worrying. Labour has broken the military covenant, so more of our trained personnel are leaving, resulting in under-manning and overstretch particularly in key specialist units."Brown and Browne must admit that the Army is too small for the commitments they have entered into."We need a full Defence Review and a full-time Defence Secretary."

As I understand it, the defence budget for 2005/6 was about 2.5 per cent of the GDP (around £32 billion), this compares to 4.4 per cent in 1987/88. That puts the UK's spending on its overstretched armed forces behind that of Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.

A Government spokesman claimed that the defence budget had increased in real terms since 2000. "Real Terms" - what exactly does that mean? well the same spokesman said: "Although the defence budget has declined as a proportion of GDP since the height of the Cold War, the defence budget has actually been increasing in real terms and it is simply that GDP has risen more quickly." What this means to me is that the government has failed to invest in our Armed Forces when the GDP was high. How have we failed to strengthen our forces during a time of plenty (according to Gordon Brown), when they are fighting at a level not seen since the Korean war?

We have less soldiers now than we did back in 1997, the Royal Air Force offensive squadrons have been cut from 16 to 11, and the Navy has lost eight destroyers and six frigates. I was in the Navy and I would not rejoin if they offered to treble my pay. The Armed Forces have become a dangerous place to be right now - not because of the enemies they face, but because of the way they are being treated by their own government. We may still have the best trained troops in the world, but you can't charge tanks on horseback.

Gordon Brown don't mess with the SAS. (Iraq Speech)

I've just finished watching one of the best critiques of a politician's speech that I have ever seen on BBC News 24. Ben, formally of the SAS has just gone into a massive rant about what he calls Brown's spin on the situation in Iraq. He basically rubbished everything Brown had to say and said that Brown was only following American orders. This will be very damaging to Gordon Brown, and I hope the BBC repeat Ben's reaction several times tonight.

Former Itn Political Editor Michael Brunson attacks Gordon Brown.

Former Itn Political Editor Michael Brunson is not at all happy with Gordon Brown. In today's Sunday Mirror he attacks Brown for his "TROOP TRICK":

Gordon Brown's utterly cynical decision to fly to Iraq last week had me spitting tacks. I thought this Prime Minister had turned over a new leaf, staying out of sight until he had something important to say or do. Yet this was spin and news management of the worst kind - a cheap shot to try to steal the Tories' thunder during their conference. When Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly parroted the official line on BBC's Question Time that Gordon needed to inform himself of the situation on the ground ahead of his Commons statement on Iraq tomorrow, she was quite rightly greeted with hoots of derision from the audience and every other one of her fellow panellists, and made to look very stupid. So cut it out, Gordon.

You can read the full story by clicking HERE.

Gordon Brown and the Armed Forces Council Tax Con.

After listening to Gordon Brown spin out the same old policies in his speech today, you will not believe what Iain Dale has dug up. Click HERE.

British Troops to be out of Iraq by Christmas?

The US commander in Baghdad, Gen David Petraeus has told the Royal United Services Institute in London that British troops could be out of Iraq “later this fall or in the winter”. The general said that British troops are possibly only weeks away from handing over responsibility for security in Basra province to Iraqi forces.

It is thought that our troops will withdraw into a "over watch" position in which they will be able to provide support to Iraqi forces if it is deemed necessary. The General hinted that a reduced number of British troops could be based in Kuwait to carrying out the over-watch role.

Mr Crocker, an Arabic-speaking Middle East specialist told the Telegraph: “A stable, secure Iraq and a democratic Iraq that is an ally in the war on terror and does not threaten its neighbours is, in my judgement, attainable. It will not be quick, it will not be easy. There will be setbacks along the way. As difficult as our current course may be, in my judgement the alternative would be considerably worse.”

This looks like a positive move and a chance that there could be a brighter future for Iraq.

British troops are to get a beefed-up battlefield patrol vehicle.

British troops are to get a beefed-up battlefield patrol vehicle. The "Supa cat" is meant to improve troops’ mobility, firepower and most importantly protection. Whitehall has placed a £30m contract with Supacat Ltd for 130 of the vehicles.

The MWMIK (Mobility Weapon Mounted Installation Kit) can carry three troops at speeds of up to 80mph. Firepower comes in the shape of a .50 calibre machine-gun or grenade launcher and GPMG. Looking at the picture above the troops still seem vulnerable to attack, but it has to be an improvement on the Land Rover. The vehicles are expected to be in service by early next year.

Gordon Brown Urinates on our troops and then tells them it is raining.

Today Gordon Brown said setting an exit timetable for troops would "undermine" their obligations, "as well as hindering the task of our armed forces and increasing the risks they face. I will do nothing that puts at risk the ability of our armed forces, who have done and are doing a magnificent job, to accomplish their work."

He is putting our troops at risk every day by not giving them the money to buy equipment that could save their lives.

Brown said that operations in Afghanistan involved "tough, dangerous and difficult tasks and terrain", but said: "The international community is united in its desire to prevent Afghanistan once again becoming a failed state."

I don't often swear on this blog but the man is talking absolute bollocks. Afghanistan has just produced a record opium crop and our troops have been ordered not to interfere. The money from this crop is going into our enemy's pockets , which is then being used to buy weapons to kill our troops. Not only that, but the bumper crop of opium means cheap drugs on our streets back home.

Brown's ability to lie barefaced and his incompetence means only more of our troops will die.

Afghanistan has broken opium production records again

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime is to publish annual survey today. It will show that Afghanistan has broken opium production records again. Just what exactly are the billions being spent over there actually achieving? Helmand province, where our troops are operating, is expected to be named as the world's largest drug-producing area. Just great.

Gen Khodaidad, Afghanistan's acting minister of counter narcotics, said: "Unfortunately we have failed, in security we have failed and in drug issue we have failed, we have not done a good job in Helmand. "This year we must change the strategy, how to fight, how to work in Helmand to improve the security and tackle the poppy in Helmand province."

The justice system is blamed for failing to prosecute drug barons and corrupt government officials. Our troops are fighting hard and doing their best, but they are not getting the political support they need and deserve. Until they do, our men and women are giving up their lives for little return.

Labour Are Dumping On Our Fighting Men And Women.

James Cleverly asks: Will forces funding be an issue in the next election? This is well worth a read, click HERE.

Gurkha Tul Bahadur Pun VC is to be allowed to settle in the UK!

Immigration Minister Liam Byrne said:

"The circumstances surrounding Tul Bahadur Pun's case are clearly exceptional, and in the light of this the Home Secretary, John Reid, and I have reviewed the case and made the decision to grant Mr Pun a settlement visa immediately. This decision was not taken lightly and reflects the extraordinary nature of this case, in particular Mr Pun's heroic record in service of Britain which saw him awarded the Victoria Cross. It is entirely right that this record should not only be recognised but honoured. There has always been scope to grant settlement in the UK to ex-Gurkhas who have retired before July 1997, and who do not meet the requirements in the immigration rules. As on this occasion, discretion may be exercised on a case by case basis. We have also taken into consideration his current medical condition."

This is great news which I hope shows that this country has not totally gone to the dogs. Let's hope Mr Pun VC enjoys his remaining years in comfort.

Hat Tip: Iain Dale

Gurkha Tul Bahadur Pun VC Petition UPDATE

UPDATE: For a my recent post on the governments treatment of our Gurkhas and a link to a current petition click HERE.

As I write this the number of people who have signed the Petition to immediately and retrospectively give all Gurkha servicemen and their immediate families past and present british citizenship, stands at 16,928 (19,587). The number of visitors of my blog that have signed the Petition stands at 111 (140) and the number to write emails in support of Mr Pun VC stands at 47 (51). Updates in red.

Thanks to all those who have taken time to show your support for the cause. I would also like to thank my MP Peter Viggers for bringing up Mr Pun's plight with the Home Secretary. If anyone deserves the right to live in this country and receive medical care it is Mr Pun VC.

To remind us of what Mr Pun VC did for us, here is a copy of his Award Citation:

“No. 10119 Rifleman Tullbahadur Pun, 6th Gurkha Rifles, Indian Army.In Burma on June 23rd, 1944, a Battalion of the 6th Gurkha Rifles was ordered to attack the Railway Bridge at Mogaung. Immediately the attack developed the enemy opened concentrated and sustained cross fire at close range from a position known as the Red House and from a strong bunker position two hundred yards to the left of it.So intense was this cross fire that both the leading platoons of 'B' Company, one of which was Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun's, were pinned to the ground and the whole of his Section was wiped out with the exception of himself, the Section commander and one other man. The Section commander immediately led the remaining two men in a charge on the Red House but was at once badly wounded. Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun and his remaining companion continued the charge, but the latter too was immediately wounded.Rifleman Tulbahadur Pun then seized the Bren Gun, and firing from the hip as he went, continued the charge on this heavily bunkered position alone, in the face of the most shattering concentration of automatic fire, directed straight at him. With the dawn coming up behind him, he presented a perfect target to the Japanese. He had to move for thirty yards over open ground, ankle deep in mud, through shell holes and over fallen trees.Despite these overwhelming odds, he reached the Red House and closed with the Japanese occupations. He killed three and put five more to flight and captured two light machine guns and much ammunition. He then gave accurate supporting fire from the bunker to the remainder of his platoon which enabled them to reach their objective.His outstanding courage and superb gallantry in the face of odds which meant almost certain death were most inspiring to all ranks and beyond praise.”

To refuse Mr Pun VC entry to the UK on the grounds of: "You have failed to demonstrate that you have strong ties with the UK." is both shameful to this country and a show of gross disrespect to Mr Pun's service to it.

You can email words of support to: support@vchero.co.uk . All your emails will be put before the Immigration Judge considering Mr Pun VC's appeal.

You can sign a Gurkha Petition: HERE

And you can find your MP: HERE

Gurkha with Victoria Cross is denied entry to the UK: Times Online Quiz

This Quiz was taken from the Times Online. Sadly I got the answer immediately and I think you will too:

Here’s a quiz. Not a very good quiz because you will know the answer before you’ve finished reading the question. Whether you can comprehend it is another matter. An awful lot of immigrants are allowed into Britain these days and very few deported because they are undesirable. However, as a nation we must draw the line somewhere. So, using your understanding of How Britain Is, estimate which of the following four aspirant British citizens has been told to get out and stay out. And which three can stay?

1) Mouloud Sihali, Algerian. Lived at Finsbury Park mosque, breeding ground of Islamic terrorism. Described in court as “unprincipled and dishonest”. Illegal immigrant.

2) Yonis Dirie, Somalian. Drug addict, armed robber and burglar. Convicted of raping a young woman in London. Illegal immigrant.

3) Tul Bahadur Pun VC, Nepalese. Won the Victoria Cross for taking out a Japanese machinegun post in 1944 in Burma single-handedly. Now 84, of unblemished conduct, suffering from heart problems and diabetes and would like treatment here. Legal applicant.

4) “AS”, Libyan. Islamic extremist involved with Milan terrorist group. Court accepts that he is likely to try to kill us all again quite soon. Illegal immigrant.

You got it, didn’t you? Old Pun’s application was rejected because - and here’s another punchline, in case the first wasn’t funny enough - he “failed to demonstrate” that he had “strong ties with Britain”. How much stronger do you want? There can be hardly a soul who wouldn’t be happy to have Pun here. And not one who could make a case for allowing Dirie, the robber-rapist, say, to get preferential treatment. Some of us would have happily dispatched him back to Mogadishu strapped to a missile.

There is no great objection to immigration in this country; the objection is to how it is done and who benefits, exemplified by the cases I quote above.

I suspect the public feels there are people who should be allowed in - people to whom we owe a profound debt of gratitude (like Pun), or those whose countries we have let down in one way or another (such as the Hong Kong Chinese or the black Zimbabweans). And yet it seems we do precisely the opposite.

Libyan and Algerian extremists who feel the regimes in their home countries are not sufficiently rigorous are allowed to stay because we worry they might be bumped off at home - regardless of what threat they pose to us.

I would vote for any party that pledged to extricate us from the international legislation that insists on such absurdities.

By then, however, it will most likely be too late for Tul Bahadur Pun VC. The Japs couldn’t kill him - but we’re not making a bad job of it.

You can email words of support to: support@vchero.co.uk . All your emails will be put before the Immigration Judge considering Mr Pun VC's appeal.

You can sign a Gurkha Petition: HERE

And you can find your MP: HERE