Parliament goes into recess today - returns on the 8th January 2007.
Current Position: On the advice of the HD Committee (as advised by a handful of civil servants), The Queen has said that British Veterans may not wear their PJM. The civil servants have confirmed that She has approved that decision “in the usual way” … they won’t actually say “signed” or “placed her mark” or tapped the paper with a sword! We are trying to establish whether this is true or a figment of the imagination of the suits.
We have submitted a Rebuttal and Rebuttal Update that raise more queries than you can shake a stick at. Then there are the hundreds of letters submitted by supporters. All are, allegedly, being considered.
The HD Committee is still considering our case. We were told to expect a result by the end of November (according to none other than Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary). Then we were told "before the end of the year" (we think they meant 2006!). Then we were told "not before Christmas” (perish the thought that they should give veterans any Christmas joy).
They are dragging this out as long as they can. They are trying to find the words to stuff us once again and get away with so doing. Well ... wakey, wakey ladies and gentlemen who haunt the corridors of Whitehall, the FCO and the Cabinet Office ... we can wait. And if this just case doesn't get the result it deserves, then we shall continue to fight.
They are also pondering the Billy Doo from the Scottish Parliament. The letter from Edinburgh asks for an explanation of the "ludicrous" PJM decision. The suits will be working on that ... it'll take a bit of explaining. And when the suits reply, they know that the Scottish Parliament has said we can make a Rebuttal statement if necessary.
Meanwhile support grows and grows. Some 500 visits each day to our web site. We are approaching 100,000 visits in under 11 months! Support is from 30 countries on 5 continents.
Parliamentary support is staggering. Don Touhig’s and Michael Mates’ EDMs (356 and 375 respectively) have attracted considerable support which continues as more and more MPs understand the justice of our case. The PJM has now received 324 signatures from 172 individual MPs.
Now … are the thousands of PJM supporters, hundreds of MPs (many support us but cannot sign because they hold official positions), men and women from all ranks of the services from Field Marshal to Private soldier … are they all wrong and the three or four civil servants and 8 members of the HD Committee right? Don’t think so!
And that is why we shall see this through until we achieve the result the PJM and PJMers deserve.
A Happy and Peaceful Christmas to everyone.
The Fight4thePJM Team
PS EDM info: http://www.fight4thepjm.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=46
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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia
