Thousands line the streets of Southampton to welcome home the Tigers (From Daily Echo)

I was hugely privilged and honoured to welcome back The Tigers in Southampton yesterday.

The turnout was marvellous and our troops received a welcome truly fit for heroes.

Proud to be British and to be part of a community who value the tremendous sacrifice our heroes are making.

Maria Hutchings Conservative Prospective MP for Eastleigh wrote:
I was hugely privilged and honoured to welcome back The Tigers in Southampton yesterday. The turnout was marvellous and our troops received a welcome truly fit for heroes. Proud to be British and to be part of a community who value the tremendous sacrifice our heroes are making.

Oh blow off you self-serving parasite.Why not just post as Maria Hutchings,West End? You lot really can't help yourselves can you!

Could we show some respect please and not use this page for slagging off or talking about politics ?
I am pleased that so many patriotic people turned out to cheer for the Tigers.

Polygonia wrote:
Could we show some respect please and not use this page for slagging off or talking about politics ? I am pleased that so many patriotic people turned out to cheer for the Tigers.

Considering this 'war' was based primarily on a tissue of lies and spin from Tony Bliar, politics has a lot to do with it.

Maria Hutchings Conservative Prospective MP for Eastleigh wrote:
I was hugely privilged and honoured to welcome back The Tigers in Southampton yesterday. The turnout was marvellous and our troops received a welcome truly fit for heroes. Proud to be British and to be part of a community who value the tremendous sacrifice our heroes are making.

Mary, you are a prime example of why people are so sick to death of politics.

Absolutely nothing wrong with supporting the troops, but your righteous jump-on-the-bandwago
n promotion just leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

There is no war in Afghanistan as there is no identifiable enemy. It's an operation that has turned into the UK's Vietnam and is destined to go the same way.

Take nothing away from the troops though. They are just pawns in a game whcih now has no value apart from posturing and rhetoric.....as Mary has so beautifully demonstrated.

An army's purpose is to impose a government's will through political means and our boys volunteer to do that and do so without question or feeling like pawns. A soldier I spoke to yesterday said he had been a bit low before the parade as he was worried about public opinion regarding his recent tour in Afghanistan. The turnout yesterday raised his spirits and gave him a bit of self esteem. He doesn't want to hear about kit shortages; he knows what he travelled in, carried, shot and ate, nor does he want to hear about whether he should have been there in the first place; he wants to celebrate coming back. That is what this thread is about, not the negative side of conflict. You don't go to the school play to stand at the back and heckle about class sizes. It is such a shame that a celebration like this has been spoiled by the inappropriate self-advertising of a propsective MP.

I was in the Precinct yesterday, proud to make the point that these soldiers deserve our support - and to ponder the fact that I'm nearing 58 years old and am so fortunate not to have been called up to fight for the country's survival. I've lived through the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond, in the knowledge that the world-wide respect of our armed forces have played a huge part in keeping us safe. The politicians simply must recognise that they deserve the very best equipment to be able to do their bidding.

I meant impose a government's will through military means. Obviously reading the word political too much.

Hope it makes sense now.

Fierce Pride!!

What the politicians actually need to learn is that this country's troops should be for defending this country, and not propping up ill-conceived campaigns on the other side of the world launched by Christian fundamentalists who told lies in order to start their wars.

Nothing personal against the troops, they are just following the orders.

But the troops are being used cynically by the politicians to try to cheerlead support for a couple of morally bankrupt wars that are going badly wrong.

This parades was driven soley by the staff at Regimental Headquarters who are exercising the Regiment's right to march through the city. Ifthere was any political intervention it was the council and police trying to put restrictions on it.

I have met Maria Hutchings numerous times when she has been helping the ared forces by co-ordinating with schools & youth groups in the area. She has a history of helping the armed forces as well as community groups. She is a lovely lady and a tireless worker for others and she has every right to point out that she was doing her bit for the forces in the area whilst the local MPs couldn't be bothered to come. Eastleigh deserves someone who is prepared to work for the people and not the MP we currently have. So don't criticise someone you don't know.

James Woods wrote:
I have met Maria Hutchings numerous times when she has been helping the ared forces by co-ordinating with schools & youth groups in the area. She has a history of helping the armed forces as well as community groups. She is a lovely lady and a tireless worker for others and she has every right to point out that she was doing her bit for the forces in the area whilst the local MPs couldn't be bothered to come. Eastleigh deserves someone who is prepared to work for the people and not the MP we currently have. So don't criticise someone you don't know.

Absolute tripe!

Lions have always been led by donkeys - it goes back centuries.

The Armed Forces provides an exciting challenging way of life and a great social life/comradeship and much more.

It may serve as a way out of mass unemployment and saves many a young lad from an unsatisfactory downward path when mixing with lowlife locals.

Skills can be learned and maybe progressing through the ranks althoug the more privileged types tend to be fast-tracked.

However they do realise that there is a chance of being posted to some 3rd world dump to sort out whatever mess our leaders have been suckered into.


We salute those in the front line and our moral boosting support does help when they return from any tour of duty.

Let's not forget that many of these brave kids return but not in a position to experience the warm welcome. These only pass through Wootton Bassett in a never ending convoy of late.

At least the media has its upsides when reporting this aspect and it might stir some people into action and dissent as the bodybags pile up.


Afghanistan has always been a lose-lose situation and we are fighting guerilla warfare tactics against religious nutters who see it as a quick way to paradise.

Those virgins must be very busy up there right now.

The Yanks got out of Vietnam due to public pressure - let's have history repeated now.

The Russians knew about this and also got out of this fly-blown hellhole.

Some people need to realise that criticising the role of our armed forces in certain conflicts is not the same as criticising the soldiers as individuals. They are brave people carrying out an operation borne out of deceit and lies and absolutely nothing to do with homeland security.The Taliban are killing our soldiers because they are occupying their land.When the UK Forces withdraw,the Taliban will be no threat to the UK whatsoever.

Ken Hutchinson wrote:
Some people need to realise that criticising the role of our armed forces in certain conflicts is not the same as criticising the soldiers as individuals. They are brave people carrying out an operation borne out of deceit and lies and absolutely nothing to do with homeland security.The Taliban are killing our soldiers because they are occupying their land.When the UK Forces withdraw,the Taliban will be no threat to the UK whatsoever.

Would like to believe you.

But if the UK Forces withdraw... whats stopping the Taliban taking revenge attacks on the UK?

Or are they just sporting characters, and would obviously concede that they were very naughty people and have now learnt their lesson....

Ken Hutchinson wrote:
Some people need to realise that criticising the role of our armed forces in certain conflicts is not the same as criticising the soldiers as individuals. They are brave people carrying out an operation borne out of deceit and lies and absolutely nothing to do with homeland security.The Taliban are killing our soldiers because they are occupying their land.When the UK Forces withdraw,the Taliban will be no threat to the UK whatsoever.

I've made myself unpopular enough on this issue already - but I'm glad I'm not a lone voice with this PoV Ken.

Ken Hutchinson wrote:

Maria Hutchings Conservative Prospective MP for Eastleigh wrote:
I was hugely privilged and honoured to welcome back The Tigers in Southampton yesterday. The turnout was marvellous and our troops received a welcome truly fit for heroes. Proud to be British and to be part of a community who value the tremendous sacrifice our heroes are making.

Oh blow off you self-serving parasite.Why not just post as Maria Hutchings,West End? You lot really can't help yourselves can you!

A tad harsh, but I can see why Maria's message has caused so much anger.

Although I think it's important to remember that it was the Labour Government who sent us to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, not the conservatives.

soton1980 wrote:

Ken Hutchinson wrote:

Maria Hutchings Conservative Prospective MP for Eastleigh wrote:
I was hugely privilged and honoured to welcome back The Tigers in Southampton yesterday. The turnout was marvellous and our troops received a welcome truly fit for heroes. Proud to be British and to be part of a community who value the tremendous sacrifice our heroes are making.

Oh blow off you self-serving parasite.Why not just post as Maria Hutchings,West End? You lot really can't help yourselves can you!

A tad harsh, but I can see why Maria's message has caused so much anger.

Although I think it's important to remember that it was the Labour Government who sent us to war in Iraq and Afghanistan, not the conservatives.

Government's government. They would have done no different.

Since Blair 'centralised' the party, changes between the tory and nulab personnel are a squad rotation system, nothing more.

Flackster wrote:
What the politicians actually need to learn is that this country's troops should be for defending this country, and not propping up ill-conceived campaigns on the other side of the world launched by Christian fundamentalists who told lies in order to start their wars.

Nothing personal against the troops, they are just following the orders.

But the troops are being used cynically by the politicians to try to cheerlead support for a couple of morally bankrupt wars that are going badly wrong.

Was it a Christian that stood next to a Mum and baby in a buggy as he tried to blast himself off to the eagerly-awaiting virgins? Poor 'flackster'. It must be so frustrating that us 'Infidels' dont share your Islamic vision for the the future.

Flackster wrote:
What the politicians actually need to learn is that this country's troops should be for defending this country, and not propping up ill-conceived campaigns on the other side of the world launched by Christian fundamentalists who told lies in order to start their wars.

Nothing personal against the troops, they are just following the orders.

But the troops are being used cynically by the politicians to try to cheerlead support for a couple of morally bankrupt wars that are going badly wrong.

Was it a Christian that stood next to a Mum and baby in a buggy as he tried to blast himself off to the eagerly-awaiting virgins? Poor 'flackster'. It must be so frustrating that us 'Infidels' dont share your Islamic vision for the the future.

It was a joy to see every one united yesterday attending the parade, even the Contractor who hoisted that mega flag on the tower crane. It could be seen all over town.