Families let down by lack of coroners reform

I see that the government of Mr Brown has yet again let down the Armed Services and in particular bereaved families of members of the services who have been killed in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is particularly disappointing considering the verdict in the latest coroners report

Army logistics failings led to the unlawful killing of a Scottish solider, a coroner ruled today.

Gordon Gentle, 19, died when a Land Rover he was patrolling in was hit by a roadside bomb in Basra in Iraq in June 2004.

A coroner's hearing in Oxford had been told how electronic counter-measures (ECMs), designed to disable improvised bombs, were in Iraq at the time but had not been distributed and fitted to vehicles.

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Coroner Selena Lynch said: "The supply chain appeared to be chaotic and lacking in clarity."

The Royal Highland Fusilier, from Pollok, died of blast injuries.

The coroner said the inquest at Oxford had seen that the Army's in-theatre supply chain "appeared chaotic and lacking in clarity". Ms Lynch also branded the Ministry of Defence's policies for disclosure of evidence to her inquest "illogical and based errors of law".

These inquests should be held quickly to ensure there are no more needless deaths and injuries to the members of our Armed Forces fighting abroad.

It was widely expected that the Queen's speech yesterday would include a Coroners Bill that would have strengthened the investigative powers of inquests and reduced delays for the bereaved.

But the legislation was left in limbo after ministers decided other measures were more deserving of Parliamentary time.

The Royal British Legion condemned the move, saying families had been waiting for years for changes:

“The draft Bill was originally published in June 2006. It is extremely disappointing that the Government has not put this forward,”
he said.
“It is particularly disappointing that during this national week of remembrance it comes as a greater blow to bereaved families.”

The Legion has made the Bill a key part of its "Broken Covenant" campaign, calling on the Government to honour obligations to troops in return for their sacrifice.



Families let down by lack of coroners reform - Times Online

Honour the Covenant - Take Action

Coming from a service family (My Father served in the RAF for 35 years) and having also married into a Service Family (Father-in-Law and Brother-in-Law both having served or serving in the Royal Marines), the action being taken by the British Legion is close to my heart.

My Father and Father-in-Law were also heavily involved in SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA) Forces Help) after they retired and understood many of the problems that service personnel faced when they left the services either voluntarily or because of injury.

Previously I had talked about this under the title "Neglected and Let Down"

A little story from My Father-in-Law, a few days ago, shows how the Covenant is strong within the Services themselves but this seldom applies to the government.

My Father-in-Law has been very ill recently and has been amazed at the amount of contact/help he has received from comrades, both those who have kept in contact and those whom he had lost contact with during the time since he retired. Contacts have been renewed around the world and many wishes for his recovery have been received. Help has been offered both from local people and those living further afield. This culminated in a recent phone call from an old comrade Sir Steuart Pringle, former Commandant General of the Royal Marines and President of the Royal Marines Association wishing him well and reminiscing about when they had served together.

Contrast this with the government's attitude that they are quite willing to ignore their responsibilities and pay lip service to honouring the Covenant that they promise to each and every serving person.

Gordon Brown and Tony Blair between them have taken us into war in Iraq and Afghanistan with little understanding of the outcome of these decisions and the long term effects it has on people in the services.

Their attitude is that they are tools to be used and then to be disposed of as cheaply as possible.

You can all help current and ex serving personnel by supporting the British Legion campaign or volunteering for SSAFA

The Royal British Legion - Honour the Covenant - Take Action

Neglected and Let Down

The Guardian has a couple of interesting articles today about the armed forces and the fact that that the Military Covenant, which says soldiers should always be able to expect fair treatment in return for the rights they forgo, is not being upheld.

The first one Neglected and Let Down shows some of the actions that both the British Legion and BAFF are taking in the coming months.

The second one Care of soldiers compromised by failing army pact details some of the Broken Covenants currently being experienced by relatives and members of the Armed Forces.

The existence of a group like BAFF in itself is an indictment on the current government.

The fact that the British Legion is running a campaign like Broken Covenant should worry all of us.

Please take time to visit the website and add your signature to the petition.



We've been neglected and let down say combat troops | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited