(Independent, 9 November) Ministers are accused of a "scandalous failure" to help Britain's servicemen and women exercise their democratic right to vote in the next general election after it emerged that more than 60,000 are still unregistered – one-third of the regular armed forces.

Electoral participation by armed forces personnel has again been raised in parliament. The Liberal Democrat peer Lord Roberts of Llandudno asked the Government what proposals they have to enable British military and other personnel serving overseas to vote in any elections in 2010.

From the last page of the report of the independent review into the broader issues surrounding the loss of the RAF Nimrod MR2 Aircraft XV230 in Afghanistan in 2006 -

Chapter 24 of the Nimrod Review report identifies a number of current weaknesses in the area of personnel in the MOD which have an impact on the effectiveness of the MOD Airworthiness regime.

“Safety is delivered by people, not paper” (Andrew Macfarlane, Nuclear Regulator, 2008)

“It takes a whole community to ensure that we get [Operational Safety, Suitability and

Effectiveness].” (A Fleet Chief Engineer, US Air Force, 2008)

Haddon-Cave makes Recommendations for a New Personnel Strategy. From page 560 of the report:

Summary

1. People deliver Airworthiness.

2. There are currently weaknesses in the area of personnel in the MOD, namely:

(1) Undervaluing and dilution of engineers and engineering skills.

(2) Engineers are not required to have professional status.

(3) Decline in the ability of the MOD to act as an “intelligent customer”.

(4) Turf wars and inter-service rivalries for jobs and roles.

(5) Short term two-year postings.

(6) Constant re-naming of posts.

(7) ‘Double-hatting’ and ‘gapping’.

(8) Lack of trained Safety Engineers.

(9) Selfishness, rewards and promotion for ‘change’.

(10) Shortage of manpower and skills fade.

3. There should be a New Personnel Strategy to address each of these weaknesses.

The Report of the Nimrod Review is now available online.

• The Nimrod Review: an independent review into the broader issues surrounding the loss of the RAF Nimrod MR2 aircraft XV230 in Afghanistan in 2006 report (Full report - PDF 4.62MB - download may be slow due to amount of interest)
• The Nimrod Review official website

Free registration as a 'BAFF Military Supporter' is currently closed to new registrations. Existing registrations remain valid, including for any member whose paid subscription has expired. Every BAFF Military Supporter is very welcome to subscribe as a full member, costing as little as £7.50 for 12 months.

For reference the original 'BAFF Mil Supporter' info is below.

Questions are still being asked about the treatment of Iraqi former local staff:

Scottish government news release 20/10/09: Reserve forces in the NHS

NHS employees who also serve in the armed forces are set to benefit from increased support.

NHSScotland employs a number of staff in the Reserve Forces who may be mobilised to serve their country in areas of conflict.

The new policy will set out arrangements for mobilisation and support for Reservists on return to work. Paid leave of two weeks per year will now be available to Reservists to attend annual camp or continuous training.

If not, it's time to get registered before it's too late, and it's never been easier.

The Electoral Commission's AboutMyVote website has been revamped to help busy people to register quickly.

You fill in your postcode and when you download a form, the address to send it to is already there on the form.

UPDATE MARCH 2010:  A special voter registration form is being distributed for your exclusive use, if you are likely to be serving in Afghanistan at the time of the General Election, which could well be on 6th May. Details through your unit. BAFF Members and BAFF Military Supporters are welcome to consult us in case of difficulty.

The Electoral Commission - the independent elections watchdog - and the Ministry of Defence have launched a joint campaign to encourage service personnel to make sure they’re registered and able to vote in the next General Election. Information about registering to vote, including how to apply for a proxy or postal vote, and a downloadable registration form can be found at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/armedforces.