The shame of how Gordon Brown treats the wounded.

None of our current Labour party political leaders have served in the military. They are quick to deploy the military. At the same time the cut their budgets for equipment and fail to provide what's needed.

Being New Labour they hide this fact by just lying brazenly to the public that all that is being asked for will be provided ( an impossible promise to make when you think about it - even for a very generous mind3ed government, but since Blair had no intention of paying up he could make it easily ).

Man in a Shed's father was a doctor in the RAF - in the days that the military looked after their own, with their own hospitals. He was shocked to start working in for a blue chip civilian company due to the lack of commitment to its people. This point was made at Dad's funeral when his efforts to persuade managers that it was their moral duty to help or accommodate employees who were ill or who had become disabled was seen in contrast to the normal instinct to "manage the people out of the organisation". That commitment to your people came from the military.

Its perhaps also why the current top brass is so horrified with how the casualties are treated in two of New Labour's wars right now.

The British have no dedicated medivac helicopters. A it doesn't get any better as your passed down the line all the way back to the money saving extra wing on Selly Oak hospital.

Into this context we have Ben Parkinson's case - where a derisory - given the lifetime of care he will need - payment has been offered by the MOD.

The Daily Mail is running a campaign to raise the money Ben's family need to challenge this - details available on their web site here.

I've been watching Band of Brother's again on DVD - and have just got the episode about the army medic as Bastogne. You can see the fear and horrific injuries soldiers face. As well as the psychological pressure. One of the mitigating parts is the understanding that when the call "medic" goes out someone will come and a jeep will evacuate you. The idea that society will forget about you and the politicians who sent you there will try to save money on looking after you ( when they so clearly waste vast sums of it else where ) would be an anathema.

Unfortunately its Gordon Brown's Britain today. I will be sending some money to Ben's campaign for justice - in the hope that all our military casualties will get better treatment than Labour wants to give them.



Update: There's shame for the other Mr Browne - our part time defence secretary over at EU Referendum also.

See also Tracey Crounch's blog on this here - she has a link to the British Legion's Broken Covenant campaign.