Fred Mackintosh condemns cuts to British Forces Post Office Service (Midlothian Liberal Democrats)

Midlothian Liberal Democrats <laird.ross@btinternet.com>

Fred Mackintosh condemns cuts to British Forces Post Office Service

September 27, 2009 9:31 PM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Edinburgh South Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson Fred Mackintosh is urging local people to back the British Forces Post Office service to Europe in a petition on the Number 10 Website.

By September 2010 the Government will have closed the BFPO post centres at 10 British bases in Europe, including Portugal, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Gibraltar and parts of Germany. This will mean that service families will have to pay full postage to contact their loved ones and services that require UK address - especially banks - will not be available to personal based near the closed offices.

Fred Mackintosh commented, "In a time of war the withdrawal of these postal services encourages the belief that Government is more interested in small cash savings than the needs of our service people around the world. I have signed the petition I hope many more residents of South Edinburgh will do so and that the Government will back down."

Press reports suggest that the closures will save just £1.7 million each year. You can find the petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveBFPO/

Fred Mackintosh has also called for the Government to award big pay rises to military personnel many of whom are risking their lives on the Afghanistan front line. He is backing new Liberal Democrat policy to give the worst paid servicemen and women, who earn less than trainee police officers and firefighters, pay rises worth almost £6,000 a year.

Fred Mackintosh said: "Every day young men and women are putting their lives on the line, fighting in terrible conditions in Afghanistan. What is their reward from this Labour Government? Shockingly poor pay that leaves them on the poverty line and their families back at home hungry.

"The Liberal Democrats would put a stop to this straight away. We will raise the pay of the lowest paid troops by an extra £6,000 a year. The average basic pay across the ranks of private and lance corporal would rise to around £25,000.

Notes:

1. You can find the BFPO petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/SaveBFPO/

2. New recruits to the police receive £22,680 basic pay. A junior firefighter receives £22,038 basic pay. More than 51,000 members of the Armed Forces (over a quarter) receive less than that. About 13,000 personnel receive £16,681 - the basic pay for the lowest paid private.

3. Under Liberal Democrat proposals a fully trained private would receive an average basic hourly wage of £9.44 (up from the current £6.74 an hour), amounting to £430 a week, a pay rise of £115.

4. The average basic pay across the ranks of private and lance corporal would rise to around £25,000. They will receive an average basic hourly wage of £10.40 an hour, up from the current £8.80 an hour. That is £480 a week, an extra £73 a week.

5. Hunger charity Foodbank has had to help 245 struggling military spouses and children in three years (The Sun, 3 Aug 09). Foodbank's Jeremy Ravn: "It's very distressing to see Forces people in this state. It is heartbreaking."

6. The Liberal Democrat policy will cost between £300 and £400 million - one per cent of the Ministry of Defence's total budget. It will be paid for by reducing the number of civil servants within the MoD where at the moment there is one desk job for every two servicemen.

7. For more information please visitwww.NickClegg.com/ArmedForcesPay

8. Edinburgh South is the 9th most marginal Labour held constituency in Britain. Just 405 votes separate local Liberal Democrat Candidate Fred Mackintosh from the sitting Labour MP. With a swing of under half of one percent required for Fred Mackintosh to be elected this is a key Liberal Democrat target constituency. More at http://www.edinburghsouthlibdems.org/pages/thefacts.html