# Private Eye on St Athan



## niclas (Jun 26, 2008)

Damning piece in this week's Eye on St Athan. It's not online but in a nutshell documents from the Defence Training Review executive board" show that:

• there are "major affordability issues" that will affect frontline services and that the "affordability gap" is so sensitive it couldn't even be disclosed to the executive board!
•*gave a list of 15 significant risks from opting for the Metrix project in terms of standards and impact on frontline troops
• 72% of trainers have said they won't move to S Wales - so not enough skilled personnel to actually do the work
•*inconsistencies in training standards between privatised training and in-house MOD training
•*risk that the 2012 Olympics construction and other MOD projects will mean construction industry can't cope and further delays are expected via the planning process and public inquiries.

Worst of all (from the developers/Govt piont of view) is that the main point of PFI-ing military training was to get stuff off the public expenditure balance sheet. It now appears that this scam won't happen "there is a risk that the project will not receive exemption from the accounting rules."

The clincher: "The consequence of this would be to make the project unaffordable and therefore prevent the project from progressing in its current form."


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## llantwit (Jun 26, 2008)

niclas said:


> Worst of all (from the developers/Govt piont of view) is that the main point of PFI-ing military training was to get stuff off the public expenditure balance sheet. It now appears that this scam won't happen "there is a risk that the project will not receive exemption from the accounting rules."


Ooh! Nice post Niclas. I'm only half way through Street of Shame, and have all this still to come!
This is the clincher, innit?! You're totally right. That's the only reason that it was viable for the govt. Once the usual PFI accounting sleight of hand becomes impossible I think we can say goodbye to this monolith of a project.
Trebles all round!!!
Shall we claim this as a victory for the protestors?


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## penderyn2000 (Jun 26, 2008)

Been rumours for a while now the project was in trouble - but let's not celebrate prematurely and concentrate on getting this information out as widely as possible.  Besides anything else Metrix need financial backers and the more doubts we can sow in their minds the better.


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## teqniq (Jun 26, 2008)

Nice one, if it's all true that's brilliant news.


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## Stigmata (Jun 26, 2008)

They were going to move my job up to St Athan for a while- until the Regimental Colonel announced the whole thing was an 'absolute shambles' and he wouldn't budge.


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## Udo Erasmus (Jun 27, 2008)

A good place to discuss this stuff and publicising the Raytheon victory will be at the meeting of the Stop the St Athan Campaign tomorrow (saturday) in the Temple of Peace at 3 pm


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## penderyn2000 (Jun 27, 2008)

My apologies for the meeting - will be at the PR summer event in London.


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## llantwit (Jun 27, 2008)

Mine too, will be eating nice seafood in Cornwall.


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## niclas (Jun 29, 2008)

Stigmata said:


> They were going to move my job up to St Athan for a while- until the Regimental Colonel announced the whole thing was an 'absolute shambles' and he wouldn't budge.



Appreciate the need for some discretion, but could you elaborate on where your job was moving from and when that decision was reversed. The colonel's name (yep, I'm pushing it now) would be a bonus 

PM if it's easier.


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## niclas (Jul 3, 2008)

I must have scared him off...

 Never mind. Here's a question from Leanne Wood in Tuesday's Senedd Q and As.

_*Leanne Wood:* I am sure that you will be aware of
reports about documents received from the
defence training review executive board,
which show that there is a major affordability
gap in the proposed St Athan development,
that there are 15 significant risks to frontline
troops from the Metrix proposal, that 72 per
cent of trainers have said that they do not
want to move to south Wales and that the
construction industry cannot cope with the
project, which coincides with the
construction work for the Olympics in
London. Do you accept that in addition to all
of these problems, the credit crunch will
make borrowing more expensive, bearing in
mind that this is also a PFI project? These are
serious concerns which need to be given
debating time in the Assembly. I accept that
the decision around this development is not
an Assembly decision and that it is not a
devolved issue, but Members need to be
satisfied that if this project falls apart, the
Assembly’s budget will not be adversely
affected.

*Carwyn Jones*: 

With regard to St Athan, it is important that
we do not put ourselves in a situation
whereby we, effectively, appear not to be
able to deliver a project in Wales. We have
the construction ability to build this project,
and it is important that we make that point. If
it is the case that many instructors do not
want to come to Wales, that does not work
very well in terms of selling Wales. I suspect
that as soon as the project is up and running
and building work begins and they see the
facility being built, many people will want to
move to Wales. We do not want to give the
impression to the world that there is no point
building anything in Wales because no-one
wants to come here in any case; there is a
great danger there. The commitment to the
defence training academy is still extremely
strong. The Ministry of Defence reaffirmed
its commitment to package 1 on 31 January
2008, and it is an important development that
will bring many jobs to the Vale of
Glamorgan and the wider surrounding area,
including the Valleys._

Dunno about the rest of you, but I don't really want to "sell" Wales on the basis that we're good at killing people. 
Carwyn Jones - whistling in the wind


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## lewislewis (Jul 3, 2008)

Although the Plaid leadership has made an error on this issue I believe more Plaid elected members should come out against the Academy, especially now that it is going to fail even more spectacularly. It could reach the point where the academy becomes a 'white elephant' and opposition to it is a vote-winner rather than a vote-loser. Not that that should be the motivation, but that's how alot of professional political people have to think. Look how they tried to silence Jill Evans over it...


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## penderyn2000 (Jul 3, 2008)

But Leanne's question avoids the question of whether or not she supports the project. A question on the costs and feasibility of the project scarcely constitutes opposition.  What about the political argument against the academy? 
If more Plaid elected members do come out against the project now people will rightly ask what took them so long.


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 3, 2008)

Some will be critical of politicians who are against the Academy but say it very quietly in case anybody hears 
 . . . Though this is improvement on supporting it! 

It's important to highlight that the Welsh political establishment is directly involved in the Academy.

During the Iraq War, anti-war members of the Labour Party would often attack Bush and engage in anti-americanism, as if our own ruling class had just been led astray by Bush and wasn't "up to their necks" in it.

I have noticed a similar gambit from Plaid members who oppose the Academy but argue it is all a Westminster decision.

This is disingenuous for two reasons:

1) The political establishment in Wales _actively_ lobbied for the Academy (including a cross party committee of Labour, Plaid and LibDem MPs who set up a campaign to bring the Academy to Wales). The political establisment in Wales are involved in every stage of the implementation of the Academy in Wales, and the Leader of Plaid is the Chair of the committee that are over-seeing the project in Wales (as part of his brief in Economic Development)

2) The idea that if the Welsh Assembly or Welsh politicians or the local council opposed a major development in Wales it would have no sway is absurd.

Statement by Rhodri Morgan, First Minister of Wales:
http://new.wales.gov.uk/about/cabinet/cabinetstatements/2007/defencetrainingacademy/?lang=en

KEY PASSAGE:

“The Assembly Government is continuing to work closely with all stakeholders [ie Raytheon, Quinteq etc. - Ed] to ensure the successful delivery of the Defence Training Academy at St Athan and that Wales takes full advantage of the wider opportunities presented by a project of this huge scale. 

The Ministerial Steering Group I have established and chaired by the Deputy First Minister [Leader of Plaid Cymru - Ed.] will ensure a joined up Team Wales approach to delivery of this project. It will meet in November to review progress.”

Read this report of the Leader of Plaid’s visit to the area where the Academy is being built: http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/o.../deputy_first_minister_visit.aspx?theme=print

Council leader, Margaret Alexander said: “As the minister has responsibility for the Department of Economy and Transport, we discussed a wide range of issues, . . . In particular we focused on the prospects for the Metrix proposals at St Athan [The Military Academy - Ed.]. The council is keen to work with the Assembly on this important national project, but the view was clearly put to the Minister that there need to be benefits to the local community as a result of the initiative, particularly in Llantwit Major, St Athan and the Vale’s western communities.”

So the argument that the Military Academy has nothing to do with Welsh politicians is bogus,here we have the leader of the local council (run by a Labour/Plaid/Independent Council at this time) discussing with the Leader of Plaid about her Council working closely with the assembly on this “important national project”

Leftwing members of Plaid need to start asking their leader why he is liasing with representatives of companies like Raytheon who have been banned by the Norwegian government and in a landmark trial revealed to be complicit in war crimes. Other important questions include the issue of privatisation of military training, the impact of the Academy on local infrastructure, schools etc.

If the Plaid Left start showing some backbone, we might be in a position to hold Rhodri Morgan to account over his blatant lies over Raytheon.


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## lewislewis (Jul 3, 2008)

I agree with alot of that and the criticism is deserved. As long as it is remember that it isn't the Plaid left bringing this to Wales.


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## niclas (Jul 5, 2008)

Cosford jobs move doubt 


Proposals to hand over defence training to a private sector
consortium, which would see the loss of 800 jobs at RAF Cosford, are hanging in the balance, a union leader said today.

He claimed the Ministry of Defence was getting cold feet about the project
and warned youngsters could end up fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan
ill-prepared for the realities of war if the scheme went ahead.

The controversy is over the national defence training review which could see
armed services training taken over by a consortium called Metrix in a
contract worth about £11 billion.

This would mean the jobs of 800 Cosford civilian trainers going to St Athan
in South Wales and the future of the Shropshire base in doubt.

Preferred bidder status was granted to Metrix 18 months ago and an
announcement is expected imminently from ministers. 

But Robert “H” O’Harney, Cosford spokesman for the Public & Commercial
Services Union (PCS), said today: “From what we are hearing, it’s all
hanging in the balance.”

“Leaked documents from a recent meeting of the defence training review
executive board show they are worried about potentially catastrophic risks
on the frontline.

“And the claimed savings of £3 billion over 25 years are now revealed as
just £400 million over 30 years, insignificant in terms of the overall
defence budget.

“I believe the risks of privatisation are intolerable and it would not
surprise me if ministers pulled the plug on this, leaving a lot of people
with egg on their faces.”

The leaked documents, published in satirical magazine Private Eye, are said
to list 15 significant risks. 

The team, led by deputy chief of defence staff (personnel) Vice Admiral
Peter Wilkinson, is said to be worried about the consortium’s “lack of
military ethos” and that trainees will leave “ill-prepared for service in
operational commands”.

Mr O’Harney said: “This confirms what union leaders and Wrekin MP Mark
Pritchard have said all along. Privatisation would risk the lives of British
soldiers and would not represent value for money.”

No-one was available from the MoD for comment.


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 7, 2008)

Attended a Raytheon 9 Victory Meeting in London at which Eamonn McCann spoke to around 800 people on Saturday, he mentioned our campaign a couple of times in his talk, and seemed very keen for different campaigns to link together, there was another campaign against Raytheon in Scotland that he was talking about that I will reseach getting in contact with.

I spoke from the floor about the Stop the St Athan Military Academy Campaign and their seemed a lot of interest afterwards from people who came up to me to ask questions about the campaign and particularly the issue I raised around the privatisation of military training and PFI.


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 9, 2008)

apparently there is another article in  the latest Private Eye on St A


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## niclas (Jul 10, 2008)

Udo Erasmus said:


> apparently there is another article in  the latest Private Eye on St A



Which rather mischievously mentions that the whole St Athan project might be scrapped to pay for the two new aircraft carriers (cost £4bn and rising) that Her Maj's Imperial Government has just announced.

Most astounding is the claim that the contracts haven't been signed for the St Athan project - so all the pre-election hype last year was just that: hype. Did it save Jane Hutt's seat? Maybe.

But it won't be enough to save John Smith's seat in Westminster.

If St Athan was a parrot, it would be a Norwegian Blue.


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## llantwit (Jul 10, 2008)

Let's hope so.
It would be lovely if this was already an ex-military academy.


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 10, 2008)

Would be good for the campaign to get out some press releases, as none of this stuff has broken in the Welsh media at all. Good idea if Leanne Wood could ask a question regarding the acquittal of the Raytheon 9 because their testimony of Raytheon's involvement in war crimes was considered credible. Also Rhodri claims that the Assembly has received explicit assurances from Raytheon re. cluster bombs, but this is not the view of the Norwegian government's ethical guidelines for their Government Pension Fund, which excludes Raytheon as an unethical company - precisely because it produces cluster bombs:

http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/fi...-the-Government-Petroleum-Fund.html?id=419583


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 16, 2008)

Strange that the Welsh media has spectacularly failed to report any of this!

Shropshire Star yesterday 

*Doubts over defence training deal *

<http://www.shropshirestar.com/wp-content/uploads/cosford2.jpg>
cosford2.jpgMajor doubts arose today about the multi-billion pound defence
training contract won by South Wales in a controversial deal which
threatened the future of RAF Cosford.

For the first time, the Government has admitted that the contract won by the
Metrix consortium for a new defence academy at RAF St Athan could fall foul
of the credit crunch.

Despite the project being awarded to St Athan last year, Armed Forces
Minister Bob Ainsworth admitted last night that the Ministry of Defence has
not yet signed a contract with Metrix.

He told Tory MP for The Wrekin Mark Pritchard in a Commons reply that the
MoD continues to work with Metrix “on a range of issues to achieve an
affordable, value for money, acceptable and deliverable project”.

He added: “Cost growth and the implications of the credit crunch on
borrowing have been a significant factor.” 

Mr Pritchard commented: “This is the first public acknowledgement by a
Government minister that the Defence Training Review programme is
unravelling.

“The affordability gap would impact on defence training for all of HM armed
forces and would also severely affect the capability of Britain’s frontline
forces.”

RAF Cosford’s future has been uncertain since the Government awarded the
contract, estimated to be worth £16 billion, to South Wales. The MoD’s
current position is that Cosford could become a super-garrison for thousands
of troops returning from Germany.


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## penderyn2000 (Jul 16, 2008)

No-one's mentioned Metrix's current 'consultation' offensive - plenty on this at http://www.antimetrix.org.
Also a short article on the whole business at http://radicalsocialist.org.


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## lewislewis (Jul 16, 2008)

Udo Erasmus said:


> Strange that the Welsh media has spectacularly failed to report any of this!



Maybe because the Echo publicly supported the bid? 

I heard that Barry & Vale of Glamorgan Friends of the Earth were coming out against the development to ask the difficult questions. Metrix and the govt are holding a public consultation meeting soon apparently, might be a perfect time to go to the meeting and ask the questions that need to be asked.


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## agricola (Jul 16, 2008)

Brown was asked a question on this during PMQs from Mark Richards, his answer - something along the lines of 2nd biggest defence budget in the world / current training inadequate / we have thrown money at the army and only getting it in two long-term wars - suggested that this deal is by no means dead... though given their various U-turns lately it may well be close to death.


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## penderyn2000 (Jul 16, 2008)

lewislewis said:


> Metrix and the govt are holding a public consultation meeting soon apparently



There was apparently a meeting in St Athan village on Monday - invitation only to 'stakeholders'.  Definition of this seems vague.  Further 'consultations' (i.e. leaflets, exhibitions and other propaganda) coming up - check the links in my last post.


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 17, 2008)

*More news from Shropshire Star*

*Appeal to PM over air base decision *

Shropshire MP Mark Pritchard today challenged Gordon Brown to admit he "got
it wrong" by awarding the multi-billion pound defence training contract to
South Wales instead of RAF Cosford.

He threw down the gauntlet during Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons
this afternoon. 

The Wrekin Tory MP's action follows the Ministry of Defence's own admission
that the contract won by the Metrix consortium for a new defence academy at RAF St Athan might not be affordable.

Mr Pritchard said: "This week the Government finally acknowledged major
affordability gaps in the delivery of the defence training review programme.

"Given the worsening of public finances, would the Prime Minister give the
undertaking to have a review of this undeliverable and unaffordable project
- and for once admit he's got it wrong?"

But the PM refused to rise to the bait and replied: "We now have the second
biggest defence budget in the world and the reason is we want to see our
troops properly staffed and properly equipped and that is what we will
continue to do.

"And that is why we continue to spend money, not just on defence, but we
spend money in addition on all the other operational requirements of the
Army, Navy and Air Force."


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 18, 2008)

emailed these people re. the Raytheon, clusterbomb, norwegian gov. angle, enquiries@st-athanconsultation.co.uk

and got this reply:

"Dear Udo, Thank you for your email. I am currently liasing with the St Athan ProjectTeam and hope to come back to you on this issue shortly. Kind Regards, Gemma"

A bit strange for an official consultation to reply back with only a first name!


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## lewislewis (Jul 22, 2008)

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/c...e-held-back-by-contract-delay-91466-21381788/

Govt Minister admitting delays and problems...


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 23, 2008)

I see one Adam Price MP is very worried that the government is backtracking on the project, presumably Plaid MPs will be agitating at Westminster to make sure that the Military Academy goes ahead as planned? But the Plaid Left is so supine that they won't take on the nationalist establishment head-on over the vital question of the possibility of British Army PLC. 

It's interesting to situate the military academy in the general phase of neoliberalism - the opening up of internal markets in the NHS, the introduction of the market into education, the increased use of private mercenaries ("Contractors") in Iraq to do the shooting rather than the British military, privatisation of military training is part of that drive, with taxpayers money going to war profiteers like raytheon et al, and the aim to increase profits by training foreign armies and troops. Railways run for profit have been pretty rubbish, an army run for profit is a pretty scary thing in my honest opinion.


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## penderyn2000 (Jul 29, 2008)

I'm away at the moment - does anyone have details of the last campaign meeting?


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 29, 2008)

I couldn't make it, but I assume that most of the discussion would have been around the intervention at the Eisteddfod. The campaign has been given some space by CND to have a display and I think will be distributing leaflets etc.


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## llantwit (Jul 30, 2008)

I've been out of it because of work and then holidays, but I wouldn't mind going down to help out on the stall some time.
Any idea who's co-ordinating things?


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## Udo Erasmus (Jul 30, 2008)

From last email I got:
"We are seeking volunteers to help run our stall at the Eisteddfod. We have arranged to use a portion of the “Peace Tent” alongside CND Cymru and Cymdeithas y Cymod. There will be a display and leaflets to give out to festival-goers. For more information: wallismk@cf.ac.uk"


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