HMS Queen Elizabeth

[Kevin Wood]

....as a form of update or clarification, it was posted in our local rag today, in the readers letters from a retired RNVR God botherer, who said that Mrs captain was using the vehicle for school runs and therefore without HMG permission and so outside insurance cover, hence the brouhaha.

If already warned and persisted then I agree with the 'master and commander' standpoint which required his removal from post.

Sorry, can't agree, this is an expensively trained, and highly valuable naval officer, clearly skilled enough to take command of one of our white elephants aircraft carriers. Then we have the disgraceful way that the f**kwits in Parliament, responsible for the Navy, who have their snouts so far in the trough it is difficult to see their fat asses. A reprimand would suffice, not loss of command, and probably future promotion.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2019/05/11/mps-expenses-will-politicians-learn/

But if the details given are correct, he had been given warnings/reprimands about the vehicle use.  What can you do if you give someone warnings, but they continue?

Only one course of action left in that scenario, unfortunately.

[Andy B]

It's 30 years since I arrived at Pompey via the dock yard 

Looks like I'm soon to be working the other side of the harbour in Fareham.

I am down in Gosport most weekends these days fixing British Soldier as the racing crews seem to keep breaking her.  In fairness they did win RORC IRC2 last year, a fantastic acheivement but they absolutely destroyed the boat in the process.  Thus far on the electrics alone I have spent 56 hours since Feb rewiring the circuits that got drenched.

[Gaffers]

There are very good reasons for not allowing personal use of military vehicles, mostly tax.  If a vehicle is kept at a business address and is used for business to business travel only (there are small allowances for journies via home such as picking up kit etc) then the MOD can claim all of the VAT back from the vehicle purchase/hire and the fuel.  Otherwise it becomes 50% and depending on the vehicle that can be a considerable amount.  Hence the rules.  Also by putting in his own fuel he will have prevented the bean-counters from being able to calculate personal/professional usage ratio and thus would probably had to forfeit the entire VAT amount to HMRC.  Being warned and subsequently ignoring them basically meant he was digging a trench to bury his career in.  Fool.

[Lizzie Zoom]

There are very good reasons for not allowing personal use of military vehicles, mostly tax.  If a vehicle is kept at a business address and is used for business to business travel only (there are small allowances for journies via home such as picking up kit etc) then the MOD can claim all of the VAT back from the vehicle purchase/hire and the fuel.  Otherwise it becomes 50% and depending on the vehicle that can be a considerable amount.  Hence the rules.  Also by putting in his own fuel he will have prevented the bean-counters from being able to calculate personal/professional usage ratio and thus would probably had to forfeit the entire VAT amount to HMRC.  Being warned and subsequently ignoring them basically meant he was digging a trench to bury his career in.  Fool.

And that cannot be argued