Alright. Perhaps it shouldn’t be posted here but, knowing that a large number of members have either an 'affinity to ’ or a ‘history with’, Rikki included, our Armed Forces, then the item perhaps justifies a ‘headline’ placement.
Personally, I would have ‘headlined’ it as, “Just how Morally Decandent can our Politicians stoop?”
However, Sky chose a less controversial headline.
5:06pm UK, Tuesday September 22, 2009
Geoff Meade, defence correspondent
The decision to ■■■■■ British military mail services in Europe and America
To save money, subsidised postage is being withdrawn from service personnel and families based from Naples to Brussels.It also means their relatives in the UK will have to pay the full rate to send parcels and letters overseas.
The cutback has left one MEP furious that Westminster apparently keeps a first-class service for itself, while expecting those in uniform to pay more to keep in touch with loved ones at home.
Godfrey Bloom, UKIP member for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, has lambasted the slashing of British Forces’ Post Offices (BFPO).
“When the servicemen and women of our country are fighting and dying for this government’s dubious honour, it treats them with the contempt it has shown across the board,” he said.
"The BFPO has for decades provided a lifeline that is utterly vital in maintaining moral and now they want to cut it.
“MPs have granted themselves £7,000 a year postage - but they seem to be happy to put extra costs on service families. How typical, how venal, how vile.”
The row is likely to intensify as the Christmas posting season approaches.
For 200 years the Armed Forces have run their own separate postal service.
BFPO operate at more than 80 locations on land and many more on Royal Navy ships.
Wherever it originates, all post sent to or from BFPO addresses is charged at the UK inland rate.
In April, the Government quietly announced the closure of more than one in seven military post offices to save £1.7m.Scheduled to shut over the next year are 11 mail centres across mainland Europe - in Brussels, Brunssum, Ramstein, Stavanger, Karup, Naples, Rome, Milan, Lisbon and Valencia.
The office at the US naval base in Norfolk, Virginia, will also cease operations.
An MoD spokesperson told Sky News: "These are mainly the smaller ones, with relatively low volumes of mail and employing perhaps one or two people.
"We are working hard to make sure that nobody is inconvenienced.
“Personnel will be able to use the host countries’ postal services and we are looking to increase overseas allowances to cover any extra costs.”
But Mr Bloom argued it would bring additional problems for service personnel and their families based overseas.
“They could be disenfranchised if they are postal voters, some credit card providers will not send cards abroad - M&S for example - unless to a BFPO address, some savings options may be closed to them - ISAs require a UK base,” he said.
"Open university students will become foreign residents, thus hitting them with higher fees.
“Quite how the MoD, and its political masters can justify this beggars belief.”
He went on: “It is if they deliberately looked around to see the nastiest way they could stab our services in the back.”
The MEP was also urging protesters to sign a petition against the changes on the Downing St website.
And from the Comments section
· My husband is in Iraq and has already had his BFPO address cancelled so I am no longer able to send him parcels or letters.
It is absolutely disgusting the way our boys and girls are being treated by this goverment,
Parcels and letters from home are a lifeline for our troops and something they look forward to, why take away a little bit of pleasure from someone who is laying their life on the line for this government and country.
Posted By :michelle
Whilst TNUK is not a campaigning organisation, this is a private post intended to draw to the attention of members a subject that may well be close to their hearts. 
And the link to the Petition, which already has 22K+ signatures:-
