Foam update

If you remember I was somewhat perturbed that some pencil-necked bureaucrat had neglected to fit fire-retardant foam to the British Hercules fleet, coming under increasingly sustained attack in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I wrote to my local MP, George Osborne and I now have a reply.

Thank you for your email of 19th September about British forces in Afghanistan and Iraq.

I am proud of the role that UK troops have played in Afghanistan since 2001. A stable, democratic Afghanistan is vital to our national interest and for the future of NATO.

British troops must be adequately equipped to fulfill the missions that the Government ask them to carry out. I am concerned that British troops might not have all the necessary back-up they need in order to complete their mission safely. The MOD has a duty to ensure that our troops are adequately protected.

My colleague, the Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox MP, has asked the Government detailed questions to ensure that British troops will be able to fulfill the tasks required of them.

Now that we are in Afghanistan it is vital that we complete our mission successfully.

Thank you for taking the time to contact me,

Best Wishes,

George Osborne MP

Can't argue with a word of that, but I probably haven't influenced the situation either way. Probably too much to hope that one email would make a difference. But there again, if we all sent one email to our MPs when something irked us, the message might get through.

Big thank you to George Osborne MP for replying. I will now be trying Ozzie Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne and John Osborne to see if they can help me out.