Thousands back our battle to save troops’ E-Blueys
THOUSANDS of people have signed a petition calling for the Ministry of Defence to rethink its plan to scrap the system which provides frontline soldiers with letters from their loved ones.
Veterans, military families and former top brass have all voiced their fury at the MoD over its ‘ shortsighted’ proposal to end an online letter service – known as E-Blueys – to save just £1 million a year.
About 2,000 people have put their name to the online parliamentary petition urging the Government to have a change of heart and keep the moraleboosting system.
The petition says: ‘It has been announced that E- Blueys are going to be cut on March 31 as a money-saving scheme.
‘Military children and families love writing to their parents serving abroad.
‘The people who have decided to cut this service have no idea how much it means to receive the letters when we are away.’
When the number of signatories reaches 10,000, the Government is required to respond, and if it reaches 100,000, the petition will be considered for a debate in Parliament.
The MoD has defended its plans on the basis that troops and their families are more likely to use social media rather than E- Blueys, even though under the latter system, the messages can be printed off and soldiers use them for comfort.
And the first of hundreds of British troops deployed to the Russian front line in Estonia earlier this month were ordered not to use any local wi-fi over fears their laptops and phones could be hacked by Vladimir Putin’s intelligence services.
By contrast, the E-Bluey service offers security because t roops and t heir l oved ones access a password- protected website or smartphone app.
Last night, Colonel Richard Kemp, who led British troops in Afghanistan, said: ‘It’s important that if the E- Bluey goes it’s replaced by something that is as good and is a physical l etter that can be put i nto people’s hands.
‘ The great thing about the E-Bluey is that it’s not just an email and you’re not just sitting at a bank of computer screens taking your relatively short time on the internet.
‘ It’s actually something you can have if you don’t have access to the internet.
‘ If you’re in a patrol base where you don’t have internet access, you can print these things and look at them in private, so it’s a very important symbol. And if they’re going to go, they have to be replaced by something that has those qualities.’
Vicki Keats, who launched the petition, said: ‘Please sign this petition to help keep the E-Bluey link going.
‘There are still people serving on the front line, and the morale a simple letter can bring is so important.
‘Yes, we now have smartphones, but the destinations intended for E- Blueys aren’t destinations where you would always want to use your phone. The morale of a simple letter from home isn’t to be underestimated.’
To support the campaign, go to petition.parliament.uk/ petitions/190041