Tag Archives: coalition cuts

MoD crackdown on cuts protests as RAF staff threatened with sack over Facebook group

8:30pm Sat October 30th

Ten days after a Navy pilot confronted confronted David Cameron over plans to scrap Sea Harriers, RAF personnel have been threatened with the sack for joining anti-cuts Facebook groups, Scrapbook can reveal. Lieutenant Commander Kris Ward embarrassed the Prime Minister during a visit to the Northwood airbase when he asked [video]:

I am a Harrier pilot and I have flown 140-odd missions in Afghanistan, and I am now potentially facing unemployment. How am I supposed to feel about that, please, sir?

It would now appear top brass are struggling to keep a lid on the concerns of both military personnel and civilian staff working as bases under threat. With fears growing for the future of Scotland’s RAF Lossiemouth, which could lose its Tornado fleet to RAF Marham in Norfolk, servicemen have started a campaign to save the facility in conjunction with local families, businesses and other supporters such as Ewan McGregor’s pilot brother Colin, who was stationed at the base for 11 years.

Banned: the "Save RAF Lossiemouth" Facebook page

However staff have been threatened with the sack simply for joining a “Save RAF Lossiemouth” Facebook page. In an email sent to all staff at the airbase, Station Commander Andy Hine said:

Very recently a serviceman from RAF Lossiemouth was involved in setting up a “Facebook” site entitled “Save RAF Lossiemouth and its local community” … Engaging in such activities without obtaining authorisation at the appropriate level may result in administrative or disciplinary action being taken, which in the most serious cases could ultimately lead to dismissal.

Outraged staff were also banned from attending support marches or rallies in an edict which raised the prospect of a “witch hunt” against those even commenting on the Facebook page:

With the base worth an estimated £1.7 million per week to the local economy, the loss would completely devastate the community.

The Moray Council’s opposition SNP and Labour Councillors joined forces this weekend to collect petition signatures on Elgin High Street.

No sign of the local Tories though!

A ska song even Ed Vaizey can understand

1:43pm Wed October 27th

11 comments

In the best traditions of British ska, Liberal Conspiracy have posted this music video attacking the Tories (and Liberals). The visuals may be helpful to Ed Vaizey’s understanding of the song, as John Robb of punk band Goldblade explains:

In the late seventies the 2-Tone movement combined ska and punk with a celebration of left wing idealogy that culminated in The Beat’s ‘Stand Down Margaret’, a song that was hilariously misunderstood by top Tory Ed Vaizey who could not believe that anyone would diss his idol Maggie and presumed the song must be about Princess Margaret – and these people want to run our country!

That was written in June 2009. How times have changed:

“He’s a liar, liar!”

David Cameron's election lies over frontline cuts

1:39pm Wed October 20th

10 comments

Hats off to Sunder Katwala for highlighting the astonishing chasm between the Tories’ pre- and post-election rhetoric on cuts. While Tim Montgomerie implored ConservativeHome readers this week “Don’t believe the right-wing commentators who say this isn’t going to hurt”, what was the line to take a few days before the election?

David Cameron told Andrew Marr on 2 May:

Any cabinet minister … if we win the election, who comes to me and says, “Here are my plans” and they involve frontline reductions, they’ll be sent straight back to their department to go away and think again. – David Cameron

How, then, is it possible to square these claims with the precipitous cuts announced this afternoon?

Perhaps it is all Danny Alexander’s fault?

Osborne Scissorhands (coming soon to public services near you)

10:58am Wed October 20th

4 comments

It doesn’t have a happy ending.

Source: Facebook

When will they learn? Defence Review speech is latest victim of telephoto lenses

3:33pm Tue October 19th

11 comments

David Cameron has become at least the fifth senior public figure to have private documents revealed by news photographers since May 2008. The prime minister was photographed holding a copy of his defence review speech which appeared to suggest that the budget has been cut by 6% less than expected. The repetitive nature of the error is such that one wonders whether the “gaffe” was a deliberate ruse to leak a more favourable headline figure. Indeed, snapper Steve Back has warned government press officers:

“I have told Downing Street before that the quality of lenses and digital lenses means that we can read ministerial papers.”

Scrapbook has had a look back through the archives:

Photo gaffe no. 1 (May 2008): Caroline Flint reveals government fears about the housing market. The then minister for housing decided to stroll in front of the press pack with figures projecting that UK house prices could fall “at best” by 5-10%. The note from officials stated grimly ”We can’t know how bad it will get.”

Photo gaffe no. 2 (April 2009): Britain’s most senior couter-terrorism officer decides to share a highly confidential memo with the world’s press. By far the worst error of its kind in the UK, Bob Quick subsequently resigned after the blunder forced police to move forward with an operation prematurely.

Photo gaffe no. 3 (September 2010): The BBC was forced to defend its impartiality after director general Mark Thompson revealed details of a private meeting between a senior Auntie official and Andy Coulson. The note laid bare discussions with Number 10 about a series of programmes on government cuts.

Photo gaffe no. 4 (October 2010): Danny Alexander is caught reading a briefing for the Comprehensive Spending Review including “lines to take” for ministers. The two pages disclosed show the coalition expects 490,000 public sector jobs to be shed by 2014-15.

Photo gaffe no. 5 (October 2010): David Cameron gives us a sneak peak of his Commons address for this afternoon.

Have we missed any other photographic cock-ups?

Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.

What the axed Harrier pilot said to David Cameron

2:00pm Tue October 19th

25 comments

Aggrieved Harrier pilot Kris Ward (left) with his father and Falklands veteran Sharkey Ward

Readers can be confident there will be plenty of Sharon Storer moments for coalition front benchers over the next few years. Cue RAF Navy pilot Kris Ward, who grilled David Cameron (video) on the decision to cut the UK’s fleet of Harrier Jump Jets at the Permanent Joint Headquarters this afternoon:

“I am a Harrier pilot and I have flown 140-odd missions in Afghanistan, and I am now potentially facing unemployment. How am I supposed to feel about that, please, sir?”

In an expression of the frayed relations with his defence secretary, it is David Cameron that will present the Defence Review at 3:30pm today.

The Fox is in the dog house.

Tories break government rules over party conference sponsorship

12:59pm Sun October 3rd

98 comments

As Tory conference gets under way in Birmingham, it has emerged the ruling party are breaking the government’s own rules over sponsorship. An investigation by Political Scrapbook has also revealed that the Conservatives are refusing to refund money spent on conference passes by organisations axed by the coalition.

The last year has seen a series of strident attacks on public sector lobbying and promotion from senior Conservatives. Criticising local authorities in July, Eric Pickles said:

“We are calling time on the scandalous practice of government lobbying government. It is an outrageous waste of taxpayers’ cash and contributed towards the corrosive culture of spin that Labour cultivated”

Indeed, PR Week reported that Pickles’ own Department for Communities and Local Government had “instructed public bodies not to spend money on stalls at party conferences”. But it seems that this DCLG edict has been ignored by Conservative Central Office. According to documents obtained by Scrapbook under freedom of information, governing parties charged Liverpool City Council a whopping £21,963 for exhibition stands at party conferences:

This local authority is doubtless not the only “public body” with a stand in Birmingham’s ICC. Furthermore, organisations including London 2012, Westminster City Council and Thames Gateway have booked so-called “hosting’ packages”.

But what is more shocking are Tory attempts to launder public money into party coffers with absolutely no benefit to the taxpayer. Where a publicly-funded organisation has been axed by the government the Conservatives will refuse refunds for conference passes. In June it was announced 8 of 9 Regional Development Agencies in England would close. The government told the RDA network in August that no members of staff should attend party conferences.

Having been banned from attending by the government, the North West Development Agency immediately sought to recoup the £1,500 – public money – they had spent on passes only to be told:

“Unfortunately passes are non-refundable due to the processes that each one goes through to receive proper security clearance”

When it comes to their own conference, Tory lectures on wasting public money don’t seem to apply.

How the Nick Clegg children's centre visit turned into a scene from The Thick Of It

10:37am Thu August 19th

275 comments

Nick Clegg, Stephen Greenhalgh and incensed local MP Andy Slaughter

DPM Nick Clegg, Tory council leader Stephen Greenhalgh and incensed Labour MP Andy Slaughter

The hapless minister is dispatched to a photo opportunity at a children’s centre, only to be harangued by parents and the local MP because the facility is being closed. The coup-de-grace comes when, retreating to his government Jaguar, he is presented with “save our home” cards created by young children. This may sound like a plot summary from The Thick Of It but that is precisely what happened to Nick Clegg yesterday.

The following package was broadcast on BBC London News after Political Scrapbook scooped the tale of the DPM’s disastrous visit to Shepherd’s Bush Village Hall yesterday afternoon. Keep an eye out for the flummoxed special adviser, incensed local MP and a distinctly uncomfortable council leader:

Further to the icy treatment of the broadcast media (and parents) depicted in the video, Nick Clegg completely stonewalled the local Fulham Chronicle newspaper and was equally purse-lipped with Labour MP, Andy Slaughter, refusing to back the centre he was using for a photo opportunity:

I asked him in a private interview after he had made pizzas with the kids for the cameras, whether he supported the Shepherds Bush Families Project and wanted it to stay open. He wouldn’t answer – Andy Slaughter MP

En-route to his next engagement Scrapbook hopes Clegg took time to read the cards presented to him by two little girls. They read simply:

“Mr Legg [sic], please save our home”.

Tag Archives: coalition cuts

Follow us on Twitter