The Sandbag Times Issue No: 51

NEWS
THE VETERANS’ MAGAZINE
SBT NEWS January Edition
info@sandbagtimes.com
By The Independent
Veteran & MP Paddy Ashdown Dies
Paddy Ashdown served
his country as a Royal
Marine, a diplomat, as an
intelligence officer in the
security services, as an
MP, as leader of the
Liberal Democrat party
and as emissary for the
world community.
Of politics and war – in the
1960s and 1970s, he saw
active service in Borneo
and Northern Ireland during
the Troubles –
Ashdown, who has died at
the age of 77, once
claimed that politics was
more exciting and often
more terrifying than active
service. “On active service
nothing happens for 90
percent of the time,” he
said. “But in politics things
happen all the time, and
the bullets can start flying
just when you least expect
them.” For Lord Ashdown
of Norton-Sub-Hamdon, as
he was ennobled after
leaving the Commons, collecting
a knighthood along
the way, the two were
always closely linked. More
Four in court after military operation
on Thames Estuary Cargo Ship
Four men detained when
the military boarded a
cargo ship in the Thames
Estuary have appeared in
court.
The Special Boat Service
descended on to the Grande
Tema on Friday, its owner
said, after concerns were
raised for the crew's safety.
The 71,000-tonne vessel was
carrying a cargo including
chemicals from Lagos in
Nigeria to Tilbury, Essex.
The men, of no fixed address,
were charged with affray and
Story: LBC
remanded by magistrates
until 31 December. They are
Samuel Jolumi, 26, Ishola
Sunday, 27, Toheeb Popoola,
26, and Joberto McGee, 20.
Appearing at Chelmsford
Magistrates' Court, the
defendants spoke only to
confirm their particulars,
with McGee giving his
nationality as Liberian and
the others saying they were
Nigerian. The military had
been called in to secure the
ship late on Friday night,
after a 14-hour operation.
Read more on this story.
Story: BBC News
Johnny Mercer Criticises “Tokenistic” Approach
To Veteran Care
A Conservative MP and former
British Army officer has slammed
successive governments for their
"tokenistic" approach to caring for
British veterans.
Johnny Mercer served three tours in
Afghanistan before retiring from
military service in 2013 and opting
for a career in politics. The MP for
Plymouth Moor View sat down with
LBC and told us that he thinks the
UK lacks a central department to
support veterans.
When asked by Theo Usherwood,
LBC's Political editor, as to where he
thought the issue originated from in
the government with regard to
helping veterans, Mr Mercer said that
he thought the government had a very
"different view" of veterans. More...
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