lgilmore | 
20 July 2009 at 20:30 | 423 views
Last week I wrote about the increasing number of deaths and injuries in Afghanistan, and the concerns over whether we have sufficient troops and equipment to allow our troops to undertake the hugely difficult role which they have been given.
This last week has brought further very sad news from Afghanistan, with one of the largest casualty lists since the operations began.
These deaths of young servicemen have shaken the Westminster complacency about Afghanistan, and have caused a reconsideration of what our aims should be and about whether we are giving our forces the resources to do the job.
It is, of course, tempting to argue that we should be making plans now to bring our servicemen and women home immediately. But there is a real risk that this could merely allow the terrorists to move back in, and resume their atrocities against the West and other countries. And no sensible person can fail to be concerned about the prospect of the extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan linking up to topple the regime in Pakistan, and establishing an extremist leadership of what is already a nuclear weapons state.
So raising the white flag does not look a very sensible or responsible strategy.
But there is a growing sense that the previous strategy of half-measures isn’t working either.
The worst outcome would be to continue with operations in which land and villages are taken by UK troops with heavy casualties, but then have to be given up for the Taliban to re-occupy because of a lack of troops and equipment on the ground.
We cannot afford to expend the precious lives of our servicemen in fighting to occupy territory which we know we cannot retain or protect.
We need to have the troops on the ground to do the tasks which are required; and they have to be given the equipment to carry out their tasks safely and effectively.
In my view, this may require the deployment of additional UK troops, but for a limited period of time. It should be accompanied by an acceleration in the training of the Afghan Army so that in the next couple of years much of the security responsibility can be handed over to the Afghan Government itself. There needs to be an end-point to the deployment in Afghanistan – it cannot become an open ended commitment.
As well as making sure that we have enough troops on the ground, it is essential that they are given the right equipment to do the job. This means ensuring that we have vehicles which are as secure as possible against mines and improvised explosive devices.
It must also mean ensuring that we have enough helicopters. Of course, we have a particular role and interest in helicopters in our area, given that AgustaWestland is the main provider of helicopters to the UK armed forces.
AgustaWestland’s Apache helicopters are already doing a fantastic job in Afghanistan – they have been one of the big successes of the campaign. But we need more helicopters to deploy troops rapidly across the huge areas of Helmand province. That is why the factory in Yeovil is currently upgrading 12 Mark 9 Lynx helicopters so that they are able to fly in the “hot and high” conditions of Afghanistan. And 6 Merlin helicopters are also being made ready in Yeovil for deployment to Afghanistan early next year.
The current, much needed, contract for Wildcat helicopters (“Future Lynx”) will eventually deliver an enhanced capability for both the Army and the Navy. But I have been pressing the Ministry of Defence to bring forward a purchase of additional Merlin helicopters from Westland, instead of upgrading the now very old Pumas and Sea Kings. Additional Merlin helicopters could and would hugely help with our deployment in Afghanistan. And if further heavy lift helicopters are needed, we could purchase additional Chinook helicopters, which have proved highly effective to date in Afghanistan.
We are asking our troops to take big risks. We must give them the tools to finish the job. Yeovil and its main employer- AgustaWestland - can and is playing a key role in delivering those tools.
Ever,
David.
lgilmore | 20 July 2009 at 20:29 | 485 views
Summer always seems to be the busiest time of year in my constituency, in spite of the common perception that we MPs “down tools” in early July and head to the beach for three months!
Parliament goes into its summer recess on 22nd July, but in the meantime there is a lot to keep track of in our area.
Last Friday, I started the day with a couple of meetings in my Yeovil Office, and then I popped around the corner to the St. John’s Church Schoolrooms to help to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Yeovil “Country” Market – which used to be known as the “W I Market”.
These markets sprang up all over the country, starting in 1919 – just after the First World War. The markets provide an outlet for high-quality, home-made, home-grown and hand-crafted produce, and they allow the individual producers to make a little money from their undoubted skills.
The Yeovil Market is quite superb, with excellent cakes, jams, chutneys, vegetables, plants and a wide range of other items. The Anniversary Celebrations had brought in even more people than usual, and the cakes seemed to be particularly popular. I was even given a few cakes to take away to sustain me throughout the day (though not so many that I will have to declare them in the Register of MP’s outside interests!). Suffice to say that my office staff and I survived happily on these cakes for the rest of the day.
I then embarked on the first of four school visits. The first was to Grass Royal School in Yeovil, where Sports Day was taking place. I was shown around the school, and saw much of the re-decoration which has been taking place of late, and which has delivered a big improvement in the working environment of the school. Thanks to the Westland Apprentices for their support for some of this work.
My next visit was to Preston Secondary School, to take part in the “Celebration of Achievement” for Year 9 at the School. I arrived in time to hear the wonderful singing of year 9 pupil, Olivia Jury, and to hear the Address by Bridget Dollard MBE – a member of the school’s staff, who has recently been recognised in the Honours List.
My congratulations to all those pupils who received awards, and my best wishes to staff and pupils for a relaxing summer break.
After popping back into the Town Centre to record a couple of pieces for “MidWest Radio”, I then called in at Parcroft School in Yeovil to see Head Teacher Gary Hobbs, and the School’s Chairman of Governors.
Parcroft Juniors and Westfield Infants will soon be no more. Both schools are due to be replaced by a new school – “Oaklands” – which is being built on the Parcroft site. Gary took me to see the new building, though because of all the work which is going on we had to look at this from the outside. Nevertheless, “Wow!” is the word that springs to mind.
The new buildings look great, including the Children’s Centre which will also be a part of the new facilities. Once the old buildings on this site are demolished, the whole place is going to look fantastic, and there will be bags of room for the children to play and to take part in sports.
The school is due to move into the new buildings in the beginning of January 2010, and I cannot wait to look around the new buildings once they are complete. It is, of course, true that it is people who are the most important resource for any school, rather than buildings. But high quality buildings do help to lift aspirations, to create the right environment for learning, and to send a message to both pupils and staff about how much we value what takes place in schools. Well done to all those involved in this project, including the two head teachers – Gary Hobbs and Hilary Wildbur.
My final school visit of the day was to the ever popular Preston Primary School, on Abbey Manor Park in Yeovil. Bob Steele has been head teacher at the school for 12 years, but he retires next week. Bob is very passionate about education, and not only about the bits that involve passing exams. The school has built up a reputation not only for academic success but for encouraging pupils in areas such as music. The completion of the extension to the school last year means that Bob’s successor has an excellent platform on which to build.
My thanks to Bob for his hard work and his huge contribution to education in our town over the last 12 years, and my best wishes to him for his retirement.
Friday evening saw me down in Bridport to make a speech on education, and on Saturday morning I held an Advice Centre in Chard. On Saturday evening, I spoke at the Old Ilminsterians Association Annual Dinner, at the Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster.
This is the association of old boys of Ilminster Grammar School, which closed in 1971 after a long history which dated back to 1549! The gathering takes place every year, and there was a good representation of old boys from the period from 1937 through to 1963. The first President of this Association was a Mr. Mermagen, headmaster of the school from 1913-1937, whose grandson is Nigel Mermagen, now district councillor for Chard Avishayes.
It was a very enjoyable evening, and I learned a lot which I had not previously known about both the history of Ilminster and the background to the founding of Wadham School.
Finally, on Sunday, I returned to Ilminster for a “surprise” party at the Minster, to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the arrival in Ilminster of Alastair and Judy Wallace. Alastair is a marvellous preacher, whose sermons are never dull and are always thought-provoking. There was a huge turn-out from the congregations of Ilminster and Whitelackington to thank Alastair and Judy for their service and leadership. But they are clearly both regarded not merely as Church leaders, but with affection and friendship. Our sincere thanks to them both for all they have done over those 10 years of service.
Ever,
David.
PS: My next Advice Centres are in: Ilminster and Crewkerne (Saturday 25th July), and then in the 50 villages of the Yeovil Constituency from Monday 27th July to Thursday 30th July. (All details from my Yeovil Office, on 01935 423284).