A disgraceful Government Minister

[Captain Kong]

This is in toldays Daily Mail,
The Russians are not happy about it.......
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.Fury of Russians at medal snub to our Arctic heroesBy Ian Drury and Will Stewart

Last updated at 8:33 AM on 17th December 2011


Alexander Yakovenko said the UK should honour the sailors who risked their lives to keep Soviet troops supplied during the Second World War
Russia's ambassador to Britain has attacked the Government for failing to give war medals to veterans of the Arctic Convoys.
Alexander Yakovenko said it was ‘only proper’ that the UK should honour the sailors who risked their lives to keep Soviet troops supplied during the Second World War.
He also criticised defence minister Andrew Robathan’s extraordinary claim that Russia recognised the veterans only because the regime ‘threw out’ medals.
Some 3,000 British sailors died on the treacherous convoys to keep the Red Army fighting on the Eastern Front.
More than 100 ships were sunk in the freezing seas running a gauntlet of Nazi U-boats, battleships and warplanes.
Winston Churchill described the so-called ‘Russian Run’ as the ‘worst journey in the world’.
Russia was so grateful that it has awarded commemorative medals to the convoy survivors – something the Conservatives repeatedly promised to do if they won power.
But Prime Minister David Cameron has so far refused to act. Explaining the Government’s decision, Mr Robathan, a former Coldstream Guardsman and SAS veteran, told a Commons debate: ‘Authoritarian regimes and dictators often throw around a lot of medals.

‘Generals in the Soviet army were covered in medals . . . which is not the tradition in this country.’

In a further insult, he used the examples of Colonel Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein’s regimes.
Mr Robathan also said the UK awarded medals only for ‘risk and rigour’, prompting accusations he was ‘belittling’ the sacrifice made by thousands.

In a letter to the Mail, Mr Yakovenko criticised Mr Robathan’s remarks.
He said: ‘I strongly disagree with Andrew Robathan who said of the Arctic Convoys veterans that there was 'no intention to cover everybody in medals like authoritarian regimes and dictators do'.


‘Russia awarded the British veterans of the Arctic campaign not to “throw out a lot of medals” but as a sign of gratitude for their courage and sacrifice in our common struggle to save Europe.
‘It is only proper for our two nations to remember that horror born out of the dysfunctional European society and politics of the time, as well as those who helped put an end to it.


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'These British servicemen know that their feats are well remembered in our country since that hard-won victory represents our common cultural and spiritual value that will endure over centuries.
‘We will never erase from our memory who did what at that existential moment of history.’
Mr Robathan apologised for causing any offence with his comments following a storm of protest.
Commander Eddie Grenfell, 91, the leader of the Arctic Medal campaign, said: ‘We are pleased to be honoured properly by the Russians. It is more than our country has done.’
Around 66,000 men took part in the convoys of cargo and munitions to Russia.
Only around 200 veterans are still alive, all in their 80s and 90s.
Successive governments have rejected pleas for an Arctic medal.

They claim that the sailors had already been recognised for the separate naval campaign in the Atlantic – 800 miles away from the freezing north.
The Ministry of Defence has pledged to carry out an independent review of medals.


Read more: Fury of Russians at medal snub to our Arctic heroes | Mail Online

[John Albert Evans]

Thanks Captain,
Ive been trying to put that on here for over an hour without result, it kept going off.
Glad you put it on.

John

[John Albert Evans]

No matter what Robathan says, he considers his first and foremost main duty in Parliament at the momment is to pass into law MPs expences to be doubled and without having to produce a single reciept in order to claim them. You can see how busy he is and what his priorities are.
When I left the sea in 1963 I joined the Police Force and spent over 18 years in the CID. I would love to go through his claims for cash expences.(I mean a proper in depth look).

John Evans

[Ron B Manderson]

According to the Mail today the Russian Ambas to britain has taken this up by saying it is a disgrace the way britain has dealt with this .
Ron the batcave

[John Albert Evans]

I just thought I'd let you all know that our illustrious Minister of Defence RH Andrew Robathan MP has made a planning application to have installed at his rambling Leicestershire farmhouse an open air swimming pool.

If its not heated I bet you a pound to a penny he wont jump into it in the winter time.


John Evans

[Captain Kong]

His pool should be filled with Ice then he should have his house blown up and with his clothes on fire made to jump in the ice filled pool and kept there until he suffers Hyperthermia.When they drag him out ask him does he deserve a medal.
He may just may have a change of heart.

[Chris Allman]

I see that other MP idiot who was at the Stag party with the guy dressed as a Nazi has been sacked, quite right too, pity the same has not happened to Robathan.

Chris

[Ron B Manderson]

Plenty of time yet Chris
Ron the batcave

[Chris Allman]

The Ruissians are not handing out a medal now, they handed them out in 1994. They previously asked to award them in 1985 but were turned down. It was not until 1994 that permission was grated for them to be accepted.

Its not the Russians fault, its the British Governments fault and lack of respect for the Arctic Veterans. The Russians are just agreeing that the attitude of Robathan stinks and that Britain should give an Arctic Medal. I wholeheartedly agree.

Chris

[j hardy]

obviously the english pollies and aussie pollies are all of the same ilk, self serving, bottom feeding, scum sucking parasites. my father was torpedoed in 1941 and survived to sail on the empire clarion on convoy jw52, returning on ra53, one uncle torpedoed 3 times, another killed off syracuse on the fishpool, 4 brothers all in the merch. my disgust for people like him is boundless.