ARmy Rumour SErvice

**smallbrownprivates** · 18-08-2012, 07:08

Forces chiefs lose perks in £50m cutbacks - Telegraph

Question: is this a) a prelude to further cuts at higher levels in the hierachy; b) an effort to make life so unbearable that generals take the gap to the private sector or c) long over due trimming of out dated VIP perks?

Forces chiefs lose perks in £50m cutbacks
Defence chiefs are being ordered to travel economy class, share cars and move out of their luxury homes under a £53 million cost-cutting drive, ministers have announced.

Hospitality budgets that allowed colonels, majors and brigadiers to entertain guests at taxpayers’ expense have been cut, along with funding for cooks, cleaners and other domestic staff.

Junior ministers in the Ministry of Defence now share cars and first class air travel has been banned across Whitehall and the Armed Forces.

The Government has faced criticism from within the senior ranks of the military after announcing 20,000 Army posts will be cut as part of moves to reconfigure the service. More than 1,000 service personnel were forced out in June out of a total of 3,800 redundancies. Senior Conservative MPs and a number of ministers are known to be furious at the reductions. However, Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, said savings were also being made at the top.

He said: “Significant savings have been made to ensure we are doing all we can to direct resources to the front line and to make sure all parts of the organisation contribute to the challenge of budget discipline.”

The MoD published figures showing that £53 million has already been saved. Cuts to the number of support staff employed in the offices of the chiefs of the Armed Forces are expected to deliver the biggest saving, of around £29 million this year.

More than £19 million was saved last year through a ban on all first class travel for civilian and military personnel.

The criteria for using business class tickets have been tightened up, the MoD said.

In future, the professional heads of the Army, Navy and RAF will also see their accommodation downgraded. Once the current chiefs of staff leave their posts, their replacements are likely to move into the accommodation currently being used by the Commanders-in-Chief of the Services, whose roles are also being abolished.

This will release Bulford Manor in Wiltshire, an apartment at Kensington Palace, Admiralty House in Northwood, Middx and will see the Chief of the Air staff moving into the Commander-in-Chief’s residence in High Wycombe, Bucks. The result is expected to be a saving of around £202,000 a year.

The MoD is also reviewing policy on staff cars to try to make more savings.

**RJK** · 18-08-2012, 07:30

They did kind of get treated like royalty, if anything, the MOD is bringing them back into line with the rest of the working populous.

**Krazy_Ivan** · 18-08-2012, 07:31

I can't help but feel that this is a false economy, our senior officers and senior civil servants need the space and quiet normally found in business or first class, they are not like most of us whos just get as much free booze down our necks before falling into a stupor. In my experience of most senior officers they work like trojans, they only time they aren't working is when they are sleeping.

Even the 'entertainment' budgets, other than being introduced to each other's horse-faced wives, at these 'do's' you would be surprised how much business actually goes on.

Now coming to staff cars, senior officers need drivers, it's as simple as that. Having worked as an MT driver briefly (got dicked) in my experience they spend their time reviewing paperwork & making notes etc. Either that or my conversation skills were shit. In addition, these are high value peeps, that's why they tend to have young fit lads driving for and looking after them, getting in the way of bullets and shooting the bad guys. A 50-70 senior officer needs guarding, it's as simple as that.

My tuppence worth, now shoot me down in flames......................

**the_guru** · 18-08-2012, 08:23

There is no need for any government official to travel first class.

Unless it's on Ethiopian Airlines.

**seaweed** · 18-08-2012, 08:32

In the afterlife I was fed and watered by a huge multinational whose company-wide policy was all flights economy class unless an exceptional case like straight into an important meeting off the redeye.

The entertainment thing is different though - when some foreign warship visits Portsmouth for instance, is her captain going to be told it's a cash bar when he pays his call on our admiral?

**Speedy** · 18-08-2012, 08:36

Because cattle class is really set up for those who need to do work in a quiet environment isn't it? Senior officers do work very hard (much of the time), and need the facilities to do so, even when travelling. I travel first class on my business trips simply because I can't prepare for meetings or talk to my colleagues in a private environment when you go standard class. These things they get are not privileges, they are necessities. I think there is a drive here to get first class regarded as a 'posh' option. Not for nothing is first class now called 'business class' on many airlines.

**Victorian_Major** · 18-08-2012, 08:51

Every senior crab I ever met was a peasant. Can't see why they need anything more than 10% off at their local Vauxhall dealership and a Greggs voucher.

Same for CS actually.

**Letterwritingman** · 18-08-2012, 08:54

Rightly so...I am not a trade unionist or left leaning by any means however I do believe that rates of pay reflect responsibilty in general ('scuse pun). Naturally those at this rank range who feel that their service to the Crown and HM Government has been devalued should feel free to fall on their swords in protest.

**DavetheApe** · 18-08-2012, 09:00

Originally Posted by Victorian_Major

Every senior crab I ever met was a peasant. Can't see why they need anything more than 10% off at their local Vauxhall dealership and a Greggs voucher.

Same for CS actually.

Good. I'd rather be led by a peasant who knows his business than a weak chinned, effete public schoolboy who doesn't.

Greggs you say. Mmmmmm.....pies!