[jambutty]

This Veterans Lapel Badge saga just goes on and on.

On the 1st July I emailed the Veterans Agency and it is only today that someone deemed to reply. Could my letter in the Telegraph have prompted the response? After all it was published on the Friday and the VA doesn’t work at weekends so today was the first chance for a response if you ignore all the days of last week. Or maybe it was someone from the Telegraph phoning the VA that prompted a reply to my email? Particularly when you read what the response was.

Dear Mr Buckley
I am writing in reply to your email dated 1 July 2006, I apologize for delay in replying.
I am sorry you are not happy with your new Lapel Badge, I can assure you that the badges are not dented, all the badges are the same, it is part of the design and manufacturing process. We have been advised by some of the older Veterans that they find the clasps are difficult, and are looking at alternatives.
The Agency is currently sending out between five and six thousand badges every week, with a 10% quality check being done on all badges being despatched.
The purpose of the Veterans Badge is to create a sense of identity among veterans of all ages, the choice of when and where to wear it being the Veterans, it will not be subject to inspection on parade.
I hope this answers your query, and puts your mind at rest sufficient to enable you to wear your badge with pride, alongside with thousands of others.
Yours Sincerely
Casey Bowling
Veterans Badge Team Leader

You don’t really want to know my reply.

I visited T.C. this afternoon where I had arranged to show him mine if he showed me his (the badge that is) and sadly his badge is the same as mine – that is with two dents in it in exactly the same place as mine.

But the saga continues. The Telegraph in their infinite wisdom have deemed my letter published last Friday to be the letter of the week and if they do what they did the last time they considered my inane ramblings to be worthy of the letter of the week accolade I got a £10 cheque. I am looking forward to that. Thanks for the congrats Tealeaf.

But there’s more!

The Telegraph emailed me to ask me to get in touch with them tomorrow, as they want to get the full facts and do a story on the “Debacle of The Veteran’s Lapel Badge”. My title not theirs.

Their email stated in part:

Thankyou for your email re the veteran's lapel badge.

I have contacted the Veterans Agency who said that they are not aware of a manufacturing fault and said you had been sent the same badge as a quarter of a million other people, none of whom have complained.

They seem to think you were not happy with the design of the badge rather than any fault.

Could you please ring my colleague Jemma on 01254 xxxxxx after 10am tomorrow(tues) or email her at – deleted - to clear the matter up so we can do a story.

Now I KNOW that the Veteran’s Agency KNOWS that there are two dents in the badge. Otherwise why would they try to deflect my complaint by stating that I am not happy with the design of the badge? It’s called spin isn’t it?

Interested parties, please watch this space because I am going to take this as far as Downing Street if necessary. We might be old foggies with failing eyesight and less than nimble fingers but we deserve better than what this government is offering.