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Axe threat to RAF Cosford air show
Tuesday 27th April 2010, 3:17PM BST.
Shropshire’s Cosford Air Show could be axed under Government plans to shake up defence training, it was claimed today.
A union chief sounded the warning over a controversial proposal to shift personnel from RAF Cosford to RAF St Athan’s in South Wales. But officials said this year’s event was due to take place on June 13.
Organisers also said that plans were already under way for next year’s show and could see no reason why it should not take place as planned.
Robert “H” O’Harney, Cosford branch secretary of the Public and Commercial Services Union, claimed the move to Wales would leave too few staff to run the air show and this year’s could be the last ever.
The future of RAF Cosford was put in doubt last year following the awarding of a huge defence training project to RAF St Athan’s in preference to RAF Cosford.
Work started this year to create a £12 billion defence training super site at St Athan’s.
However, a final decision by the Government on whether to go ahead with the academy will not be made until after the General Election.
Cosford Air Show is one the most visited annual attractions in the West Midlands.
Mr O’Harney added: “If ministers push ahead with the flawed defence training review programme, not only will hundreds of local jobs be put at risk but the future of the air show itself will be in jeopardy.
“The 2010 air show could be the last ever unless the Defence Training Review (DTR) project is scrapped.”
Conservative candidate for The Wrekin, Mark Pritchard, who as MP for the seat has been campaigning to safeguard the future of RAF Cosford, said today: “It is wrong that a political decision by ministers to move defence jobs to Wales, as part of DTR project, is now threatening the Cosford Air Show. Ministers should think again.”
Wing Commander Nick Lea, chairman of the RAF Cosford Air Show organising committee, said: “Preliminary preparations are already being carried out for the RAF Cosford Air Show in 2011.
“We see no reason why the event should not take place as planned.”
By Simon Hardy
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Funny. Can’t recall seeing this in Labour’s manifesto.
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when it was announced that cosford had not been awarded the training contract, I immediately feared for the air show even with all its heritage.
I am glad is concerned about the same thing!
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This is terrible news about cosford air show,my family and i go every year and really look forward to it as a family day out.The goverment are always saying about families doing things together and then it is taken away from us.As a child i was taken to bobbington air shows for many years until that was stopped.It is so much cheaper if we have got places to go like this on our door step but now we will have to travel miles to see an air show.THANKS TO THE GOVERMENT “NOT”
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Matt that is probably because this is Tory electioneering. Funny how it comes out a week before we go to the polls!
Mind you if you read the Shropshire Star you are hardly going to get balanced political discussion.
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Here we go again. In what way are we biased today?
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Publishing a scaremongering article like this a week before an election with a quote from just one of the many prospective local candidates for a start.
Well you asked!
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The “scaremongering” came from the PCS Union, a politically unaffiliated trade union which is fighting to keep staff at Cosford.
As to its timing, you would have to ask the PCS Union that.
The Conservative candidate was contacted for quotes as, firstly, Cosford is in his former constituency and, secondly, he has been campaigning to save Cosford ever since St Athan (in the constituency of Labour Defence Select Committee member John Smith) won the defence training contract.
I learnt long ago, and it was a very frightening discovery, that conspiracy theories are almost always just that – theories. The terrifying discovery I made was that no-one is actually running everything and no-one has a masterplan.
Having said that, just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.
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So, RAF St Athan has a link to labour, that would explain why i have not seen any comments from David Wright, our labour MP.
Both Mark Pritchard AND David Wright should be compaining to keep RAF Cosford and the Air Show safe. If both of them have then thats great but to be honest, i have only seen Mark Pritchard fighting for it’s survival.
A little snippet in that article also, “work to create a £12 billon training super center has started”. You watch, training at RAF shawbury will be moved too. Why have two training centers, one in Cosford and one in Shawbury when you can have one super center in St Athan.
Fight the decisions both of you MP’s Mark and David
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