Lobby Day - 17th April 2007

A very good turn out indeed. Colin Challen MP said that it was the finest lobbying he has seen at Westminster for many a year and, most importantly, was dignified.

Congratulations to all those who were able to make it on the day.

The estimate for numbers attending exceeded 350.

There were 55 MP's who attended the lobby and a letter of thanks has gone to all of them from AFPG.

Unfortunately, the main media was overwhelmingly covering the shooting event in the USA and we were relegated to small notices. We are continuing our efforts to get the national media as excited as the provincial papers and television.

This is just a step up the ladder so watch this space for further progress. 

This website is in the process of being refurbished which will make navigation a lot easier.

Mike Steel

Statement of Intent - 4th April 2007

Lobbying on Tuesday 17th April 2007 is a very important date and we must work together to obtain the best advantage from the considerable work that Colin Challen MP and his agent, David Langham, have put into this. We should also be mindful of the fact that over 150 Members of Parliament have followed Colin's lead and signed Early Day Motion No.67. The BBC in the local editions of the Politics Show and local papers for the area have likewise shown considerable support. It is now up to us - that is you and I collectively and individually, to see that our campaign progresses to a favourable conclusion. There are many detractors both within and without Parliament, the most serious of which are those in the Home Civil Service who will seek to show that the cost would be too great without even researching the likely cost. Already we have had Ministerial "guesstimates" of "billions" and comments to the effect that if we are awarded retrospective pensions then every Tom, Dick and Harriet in the public sector will require and be deserving the same treatment. Our argument must be made through unity of purpose. We are a special case. Our purpose is to seek restoration of those pension rights that have hitherto been denied or compensation for the loss thereof. We are not seeking pensions that are the same as those serving now and who retire tomorrow. We are seeking a pension/compensation based on our years of service which is related, pro rata, to the pension that our contemporaries received who were completing 22 years at the time our own service was completed. For the avoidance of doubt, I offer the following scenario:- "A" completes 15 years (from age 18) in March 1975. "B" completes 22 years also in March 1975. "A" ought therefore to have received 15/22 of "B" pension and today would receive 15/22 of "B" current pension which of course has been index linked from 1975. Detractors/opponents (call them what you will) who advise Ministers will tell you - the Press - the Ministers - that this is a complicated and all too exhausting exercise. It is not so. The Government Auditors have a simple formula which can be applied and, using today's technology, the appropriate sums to be paid can be calculated in seconds. I know, I have done the exercise! You will also be told that the cost to MoD will be such that our current and undoubtedly brave servicemen and women will suffer as a result of such costs. This is a red herring and we must be prepared to disabuse any such suggestion. The cost of any retrospective payment will not come from MoD funds but from what used to be called the 'Consolidated Fund' and which is the 'pot' which the Chancellor 'dips into' from time to time to meet unexpected or corrective unplanned costs - such as the DefRA debacle over farm payments. Our main points in obtaining this retrospective issue are:- The Government claims it was not obliged to inform its 'servants' of forthcoming changes in legislation as the information was in the public domain. All employers have a duty of care to their employees and this includes keeping them informed. This is especially true when it comes to employees who are outside of the UK and would not in any case have access to such information. (Stand up the man who regularly read The Times and/or London Gazette in Aden, Borneo, Northern Ireland etc). In calculating the appropriate pay for members of the Armed Forces the various committees from Grigg onwards and doubtless back to the Peninsular War (when the 22 year pension scheme was introduced as an inducement to recruiting) have taken into consideration both the 'perks' and 'disadvantages' of being in the Armed Forces compared with other walks of life. On the downside, there is the prospect of being killed or maimed and on the upside has always been the opportunity for travel (usually to places where on can experience the exhilaration of sleep deprivation, hard lying and being shot at) and, most significantly (if you survive) the award of a non-contributary pension. As with Civil Service employees, in calculating the benefit of the non-contributary pension, the actual pay has been abated by a factor which has varied between 7 and 11 per cent over the years. What we want is the same rights as are available today. Namely, for less than 22 years service, the agreed amount should be payable from the age of 60 or 65. We want equality of treatment but we appreciate that this does not mean the same amount as present leavers are awarded. Our case does not include those who were solely National Servicemen but it does include all volunteers. We are a special case. In the main we could not choose to leave when we wished unlike Civil Servants who could freely make the decision to resign and seek pastures anew. Yes, some did receive gratuities. These were normally up to about £200 but only after at least 12 years "man's" time and unrelated to rank. However, contrary to comments emanating from MoD which imply that this was compensation for not receiving a pension, lump sums (gratuities) were and continue to be paid to service personnel who leave today with pension rights. Let us all sing from the same hymn sheet. We each have our own situation/story to tell and tell it we must. However, let us also emphasise that which is common to each of us. Many of us were lied to and/or misled, many received scant advice. We should raise these points but in the context of the bullet points above. Nigel H Lodge. Secretary, AFPG Ltd

BBC Yorkshire - 13th March 2007

Pleased to inform everyone that the Politics Show went down rather well with the BBC (Yorkshire) affording us a full ten minutes. East Anglia Region have also picked up our story and it looks as though we will have a slot there too! The Yorkshire Evening Post is going to run an article on the AFPG fight for rights. The lobbying day is now the 17th April (Tuesday) as Westminster Hall is unavailable on the 18th. There will be a letter going out ASAP to all members on the UK Mainland but if any member happens to be here at the time, you are, of course - WELCOME. It is important that we get immediate responses to say that you will attend so that coaches can be organised - we are aiming at something like 300 (about 6 coach loads) to attend the House of Commons on that day. Those who will not be able to make it can do their bit by either emailing or writing to DAVID LANGHAM who is the Parliamentary Assistant to Colin Challen to support our action on that day. It would carry a lot of weight if Colin Challen can wave a sheaf of emails/letters supporting this motion from all over the world - so come on you ex-pats!!!!! Addresses: email: davidplangham@tiscali.co.uk Make for the attention of Colin Challen MP Postal: Colin Challen MP, 2 Commercial Street, Morley, Leeds. LS27 8HY

Colin Challen - 25th February 2007

Colin Challen MP will be on the BBC 'Politics Today' programme fighting our corner on Sunday 4th March.It will go out after 12.25 on Yorkshire Region. On Thursday 1st March, over 30 of our members will be attending a 'photo shoot' in Harrogate to back the programme. If you live in the Yorkshire TV region, can attend but you haven't been contacted yet, please phone 01623 402290 ASAP for details.On the 18th April, we will be lobbying MP's at Westminster.The idea is to bus in as many members as possible - the target is to exceed 250! A letter for this event will be sent very shortly and we ask that you respond  immediately by phone/email so that arrangements can be made for transport. Numbers are important as it will dictate the size of meeting room at the House of Commons

Panic Over Everyone - 30th January 2007

Panic over everyone. Colin Challen suggests that to attend an Adjournment Debate would not be a cost effective exercise. Unless you live next door, the travel would prove expensive as there would be little change to have a meeting before the debate and we would only be spectators during the action. (Personally, I will be glued to the 'Westminster Today' programme on the TV.Future action, of which there will be ample notice this time, will be a lobbying exercise at Westminster which can be co-ordinated by a friendly MP. With sufficient notice, we can arrange coach runs from various parts of the country with pick-up points along the way. To get sufficient number there would take a bit of organising - but can be done. In the meantime, do get in touch with your local media and get them to sniff the story. Mention the EDM (now 112 signatures) and the Adjournment Debate.