Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

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boff180
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Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by boff180 »

Ok I'm not the creator of the petition but I had to post this.

It is excellent to see so much public support for the Reds to fly at the 2012 opening ceremony.

In total 502,134 people signed!

Even more surprising is the positive response from the government; they usally try to dodge these petitions. Their response quoted below.

We’re glad to tell you there is absolutely no truth - and never has been - in the idea that the Government has banned the Red Arrows from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Prime Minister was delighted to see the role the Red Arrows played in the celebrations on the Mall after the Beijing Games, and they have always played a significant part in great festivals of celebration in Britain in recent years. Indeed, the Red Arrows played a memorable role when they flew over Trafalgar Square in 2005 to mark London winning the Games.

Decisions on the nature of the Olympic opening ceremony are a matter for the 2012 organising committee, and with four years to go, they have not made their decisions yet. However, the Prime Minister has made clear he would be delighted to see the Red Arrows perform in the celebrations in 2012.

We asked Tessa Jowell, the Olympics Minister, to pass on her comments as well:

She said:

“I am delighted that so many people have shown how important the Red Arrows are to them by signing this petition. To their millions of fans, the Red Arrows demonstrate all the best elements of being British of which we are so rightly proud. As we have made clear on many occasions, it is just not true that the Government has in some way banned the Red Arrows from being involved in 2012. Nothing, in fact, could be further from the truth.

The Red Arrows flew over London the day we won the Games in 2005 - and they took to the skies again in August, on another special day for London 2012, as we marked the end of the Beijing Olympics and the start of the run-up to our Games. I know Gordon was as delighted as I was that the Red Arrows were able to play such a prominent role, a fitting end to an Olympics that had been such a triumph for Great Britain. While it is up to the 2012 Organising Committee to decide what form the ceremonies in 2012 should take and who should participate, I am very clear in my own mind that the Red Arrows should be part of London’s welcome to the world in four years time. And I know Seb Coe shares my view.”


Andy :clap:

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DamienB
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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by DamienB »

Well of course it was a positive response, it was nonsense all along.

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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by KarlADrage »

I thought this had been put to bed nearly a year a go?!?

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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by A380FWWOW »

KarlADrage wrote:I thought this had been put to bed nearly a year a go?!?


It may have been put to bed by us at UKAR a year ago, but the government has seen fit to respond to the petition only today!
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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by garethbrum »

KarlADrage wrote:I thought this had been put to bed nearly a year a go?!?


Yep - even the Reds issued a statement saying it was nonsense!

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Russ
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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by Russ »

A380FWWOW wrote:
KarlADrage wrote:I thought this had been put to bed nearly a year a go?!?


It may have been put to bed by us at UKAR a year ago, but the government has seen fit to respond to the petition only today!

Could that not be simply because the petition expired recently, so a reply is standard practice?

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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by sjt »

Surely they can only do a basic flypast anyway can't they? Didn't think they are allowed to do a full display over the Capital?
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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by 138EAW »

There wasnt ever any doubt that the red's would take part. More than likely some journo trying to fill his column inches up in the first place
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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by Rory76 »

tomcatforever wrote:There wasnt ever any doubt that the red's would take part. More than likely some journo trying to fill his column inches up in the first place


It's this sort of thing that happens when the Daily Mail gets taken seriously... :grin:
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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by Chris H »

At least once a week this gets forwarded to my inbox by some concerned individual who has never seen it before. I think it appeals to people because it coincides with the "we aren't allowed to be proud to be British" sentiment that is floating around at the moment. It amazes me how shirty people can get when you point out (as politely as possible of course) that they are a good few months too late and this was put to bed a while ago.
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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by ppgstf »

God, if the government backpeddled any faster, they'd win the 100 meters in reverse at the 2012 Olympics!

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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by stuart n »

Gordon Brown won't be in charge at the next olympics so the petition was pointless anyway :wink:

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Re: Positive gov response to Red Arrows 2012 petition.

Post by RAF Photos »

I remember reading:
We’re glad to tell you there is absolutely no truth - and never has been - in the idea that the Government has banned the Red Arrows from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

about a year ago or whenever the nonsense was first made up, so that can't be a new statement? :confused:
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