MP manufacturers Reform UK’s deputy chief ‘pathetic’ in RAF base safety row
The deputy chief of Reform UK has hit again after being branded “pathetic” by an MP over feedback he made concerning the feminine commanding officer of an RAF base.
Louise Jones – the Labour MP for North East Derbyshire – condemned Richard Tice for feedback he posted on X about Group Captain Louise Henton following a safety breach at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.
The Boston and Skegness MP posted: “Stored protected & safe by an HR supervisor……nicely carried out of us” with a hyperlink to the officer’s biography.
In response to Jones’s feedback in Parliament on Tuesday, Tice mentioned the “woke weak spot from Lib Dem and Labours MPs is a nationwide embarrassment”.
Jones, who served in Afghanistan with the Military, mentioned: “Sure pathetic little individuals took this incident and determined to return out of the woodwork and criticise individuals for doing their job while being feminine.
“I do know as a lady serving within the armed forces, each alternative that has been given to ladies, now we have earned, by means of serving on operations, proving time and time once more, we’re worthy to be there.
“I used to be very acutely aware after I was serving that I needed to be excellent, as a result of any fault or flaw that I confirmed wouldn’t be held simply in opposition to me, however in opposition to all the ladies that I used to be serving with.”
Responding, Tice instructed the BBC: “What’s pathetic is permitting a HR supervisor to be accountable for safety at certainly one of our most essential UK bases.
“The woke weak spot from Lib Dem and Labours MPs is a nationwide embarrassment.”
Members of the Palestine Motion group broke into the RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and spray-painted two army planes purple.
Footage posted on-line by the group on Friday confirmed two individuals contained in the airbase in darkness, with one using on a scooter as much as an Airbus Voyager and spraying paint into its jet engine.
South East counter-terrorism police later confirmed its specialist officers had been investigating the incident alongside Thames Valley Police and the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Group Captain Louise Henton joined the RAF in 2001, and took command of RAF Brize Norton in July 2024.
The MoD wouldn’t formally touch upon the row however a supply instructed the BBC: “The RAF has utmost confidence within the management at RAF Brize Norton.
“The present station commander brings experience and expertise to the position which can be massively related, she is a wonderful instance of non-aircrew delivering management on the highest degree, as additionally proven by Sir Wealthy Knighton who’s an Engineer and head of the RAF.”
Group Captain Henton’s biography on the RAF’s web site states that she “has served at RAF Stations within the UK, and accomplished worldwide deployments and detachments”.
It reads: “Louise has accomplished command and workers appointments in personnel, media, recruitment, programmes and plans, and human assets.
“Promoted to Group Captain in [August 2022], she was lately accountable for supply of the modernisation of profession administration practises and protocol.”
The Liberal Democrat MP for Tewkesbury, Cameron Thomas – who served underneath Group Captain Henton – additionally joined the condemnation of Tice.
He mentioned within the Commons: “It was a disgusting assault on a senior officer and my earlier squadron commander, who had devoted her profession, to the armed forces service and to bettering the lives, the lived expertise of our personnel.”
