Is this a relatively new thing? I recall seeing something in the the regs back in the RAFVRT days stating that Volunteer Reserve commissions had to be resigned if standing as a Member of Parliament. Old memory isn’t what is used to be though, have I imagined that?
MB
And Gary Lineker is paid by the BBC - plenty of people feel he is still allowed his own opinion on subjects without being subject to the BBC’s “impartiality and balance” expectations.
Given Carol’s exposure to the RAFAC (claimed twice a year, and although I’d hope it was more than that certainly not once a month) it is fair to suggest everything she does should be inline with our policy?
Carol is not invited to give an interview, or written about in this article as a RAFAC Ambassador - and therefore not appearing in such a role, in the same way Gary is not considered a BBC News reporter or political editor
I don’t know about the VRT because it never applied to me, bit I’m pretty sure there’s always been a divide between regular and reservists in terms of political office - Regulars have to resign if they stand for election but reservists don’t.
Dan Jarvis, an OC in 1PARA, had to resign his commission in order to stand as an MP in 2010, but reservists like Penny Mordaunt, James Cleverly, Tom Tudgenhat don’t have to.
Pretty sure there’s a Lab MP who did an Afghan tour while an MP.
It seems pretty bizarre for the RAFAC to have stricter rules than the actual reserve forces…
The pearl clutching here from the Outraged of Tunbridge Wells crew is ridiculous.
We’ve got far bigger things to worry about than whether someone in a position that nobody outside our little club knows about says some things heated things on Twitter.
It’s hilarious that people are complaining that an Honorary Ambassador is airing her political views while their are actual reservists on the cabinet. 
Go and give your heads a wobble people.
If she was donning her uniform and going out making these statements then the criticism would be fair. But when she’s doing it in her role as a private citizen then all the best to her.
Personally, I think she takes it to the extreme at times, and is deliberately blind to similar issues in the Labour party but they aren’t the party in power so the impact of their dodginess is, currently, limited. But that’s not to say she can’t express those views and keep her uniform.
I personally know two RAFAC officers who have stood for parliament. Incidentally both under the Tory whip.
Ah but were they Torys or were they conservatives…. 
Personally I think she’s being paid by a lobby group or her agent has advised that it’s a way to get her on daytime TV shows. But that’s me speculating & extrapolating rather than having seen any evidence.
So young and yet so cynical. Welcome to the club!
Mark Lancaster (now Brig. Baron Lancaster) did an Afghan tour about a year after getting elected as an MP, but he’s a Conservative so possibly not who you were thinking of.
Found the reference, still in force when CFC was introduced in 2018. Definitely says commission (in this case CFC) to be resigned if standing for parliament.
MB
As it should be. Not just for us, but for regulars & reserves as well.
It is imperative that the military are as politically neutral as possible, in order to maintain public trust in democratic functions as much as is feasible. We in RAFAC may not be military, but Joe Public is probably not going to understand that given the uniforms we choose to wear.
Regulars are, reserves are not. As such the extract from the policy above is not strictly speaking correct (& I think it has been successfully challenged)
https://erskinemay.parliament.uk/section/5402/the-armed-forces/
Reading the act itself, only regular officers are barred.
CFC who by definition not subject to the armed forces act & therefore not barred from standing. It appears that this is another copy & paste situation.
The prohibition on not using military assets & uniform to promote an individual political standing would still apply.
TLDR - carol (or the rest of us) are not barred from political campaigning or standing as a candidate provided we do not make use of/comment on defence assets or policy to do so.
It can’t be good for her health and mental wellbeing to be going on this personal crusade at 100 tweets per minute.
Personally speaking, I don’t give a moments notice to her tweets anymore as she has obviously become unhinged, however, as an ambassador, if might be nice if she posted the occasional tweet about how great the Air Cadets are for youngsters personal development.
One RAFAC tweet per 1000 political rant would be good, because at least then we would get a mention every hour!
That photo of the policy really sums up our organisation.
Para 13 says CFC officers are no different to other civilians. Para 14 then goes on to try and force laws onto them that are only aimed at actual officers.
Pick one. They are officers of they’re not.
Also this policy would imply that CFC officers can’t even be local councillors if they stand with a party? That’s just absurd.
Where’s that policy from? The published AP1919, AP1919A and ACP20 on SharePoint say almost exactly the opposite of that policy quote.
