Optimistic (From Barry And District News)

Optimistic

CONCERN is mounting yet again about the Defence Aviation Repair Agency (Dara) at RAF St Athan.

Our ever-optimistic MP, John Smith, chairman of the Labour backbench defence committee, member of the Nato 'parliament', is leading yet another delegation to try to stop the slide into further redundancies, before the facility is even open.

Archie Hughes was appointed the new Dara chief executive at the end of January 2004, and declared that he was inheriting a dedicated workforce which delivered a "world-class service" to the armed forces.

Suddenly the climate has changed, all in the space of ten weeks. We have already suffered damage to the local economy by the recent announcement of 500-plus redundancies and the transfer of work from our "world-class" facility to RAF Cottesmore in Rutland.

The optimism is turning to pessimism but John Smith still keeps whistling and hoping; hoping above all that his optimism and public statements will prove to be true and help his re-election.

Christopher Short,

56 Redbrink Crescent,

Barry Island.