Southport MP Damien Moore is to visit the Falklands next week.

Damien Commented...

Following encouragement from my constituents, I joined the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (AFPS) last year and will be heading to the Falklands on Sunday for a week visiting our armed forces personnel serving there.



The AFPS exists to give MPs first-hand experience of the armed services, increasing the number of MPs in Parliament with an understanding of defence and security.


You can read more on the AFPS here:https://buff.ly/2TGSnPO

Are there no important brexit votes next week?

Philip Hammond was going to China for important trade talks until Gavin Williamson aka Pike, threatened China with sending our aircraft carrier to china seas - meeting cancelled.

Perhaps our MP should take Mr Williamson to the Falklands too - and leave him there (please)

Come on own up which constituent encouraged him to go to the Falklands? I bet the expenses for making foreign trips that have zero consequence to the constituents are very worthwhile and ENCOURAGING.

You could understand the MP's for Catterick, Aldershot, Plymouth, Portsmouth and any other Military Town making such a "Sacrifice" but Southport?

Originally Posted by Little Londoner

Come on own up which constituent encouraged him to go to the Falklands? I bet the expenses for making foreign trips that have zero consequence to the constituents are very worthwhile and ENCOURAGING.

You could understand the MP's for Catterick, Aldershot, Plymouth, Portsmouth and any other Military Town making such a "Sacrifice" but Southport?

I don't think there is anything inherently wrong with what he is doing but you make a good point about the location and cost of getting there.
Much the same could be achieved by sending him to Brecon, perhaps shadowing someone on the platoon sergeants course. Catterick and Warcop would also make sense as they too resemble the Falklands.
Salisbury plain could be a soft backstop - oops - bit topical that last one.

Another little jolly funded by the tax payer. Scandalous!!

Getting there is easy. Flight from RAF Brize Norton in a Hercules for 20 hours stopping at the Cape Verde islands to refuel as the airport in the Ascension Islands is under repair.
Now if you have ever flown in a Hercules, there's no trolley dolly, no business class, they are not pressurised and a prop job not jet engines and guess what it costs next to sod all to get there if you are prepared to fly cargo class,
Anyone with forces relatives stationed in the Falklands can get those cheap flights to visit their loved ones.

I believe the Labour party are arranging away days for their MP's what's left that is, to Tel Aviv

Damien dressing up in his fake uniform again... trying to suggest he's joined up this time it seems - last time he tried to make out he was "serving his country" by going on these jollies... which was really rather disgraceful IMHO - the truth is that the AFPS is a privately run educational course for MPs... it's not even at cadet level, nevermind reservist or the like... a Boys Brigade uniform has more validity than this. Totally shameless.

Originally Posted by dexie

Getting there is easy. Flight from RAF Brize Norton in a Hercules for 20 hours stopping at the Cape Verde islands to refuel as the airport in the Ascension Islands is under repair.
Now if you have ever flown in a Hercules, there's no trolley dolly, no business class, they are not pressurised and a prop job not jet engines and guess what it costs next to sod all to get there if you are prepared to fly cargo class,
Anyone with forces relatives stationed in the Falklands can get those cheap flights to visit their loved ones.

There are civilian bookable flights through the MOD twice weekly using the Voyager, which is based on the A330, not exactly arduous.

In fact the aircraft used has 58 business class seating, still has the additional fuel capacity in it's tanker role, this gives an extended range carrying it's own fuel, pretty cushy actually.

Originally Posted by justbecause

Another little jolly funded by the tax payer. Scandalous!!

Bet its not made one jot to your bank balance?

Originally Posted by Gwhizz

Damien dressing up in his fake uniform again... trying to suggest he's joined up this time it seems - last time he tried to make out he was "serving his country" by going on these jollies... which was really rather disgraceful IMHO - the truth is that the AFPS is a privately run educational course for MPs... it's not even at cadet level, nevermind reservist or the like... a Boys Brigade uniform has more validity than this. Totally shameless.

Its amazing that he finds time to do all the stuff he does! Suppose he has to compensate for not actually living in Southport somehow.

Of course it is summer down there so he won't see how bad the weather really is. Will he be visiting the mountain sites i.e. the prisons?

Originally Posted by silver fox

There are civilian bookable flights through the MOD twice weekly using the Voyager, which is based on the A330, not exactly arduous.

In fact the aircraft used has 58 business class seating, still has the additional fuel capacity in it's tanker role, this gives an extended range carrying it's own fuel, pretty cushy actually.

Thanks for that Silver, my daughters in the RAF and she may be posted there for a 4 month trip and my wife doesn't like the sound of the Hercules.

Originally Posted by dexie

Thanks for that Silver, my daughters in the RAF and she may be posted there for a 4 month trip and my wife doesn't like the sound of the Hercules.

My pleasure, did have a very short trip in a Hercules, shall we just say the novelty wore off pretty quickly.