Robin Musson – ‘Proof that you don t have to be a bastard to get on’
Rear-Admiral Robin Musson,who has died aged 81, won relief for seagoers from the payment of the poll tax, and later became head of his profession.
As captain of HMS Cochrane, 1988–90, the naval shore establishment at Rosyth, Musson was also flag captain to the Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland, Vice-Admiral Sir Jock Slater. At their first meeting, Slater told Musson to focus on the unwelcome proposal that seagoers based in Scotland were expected to pay a proposed poll tax even when at sea.
Musson decided to invite Fife’s community charge registration officer to lunch. He had been warned that the man was a communist, but for that reason Musson thought he was just the man to sympathise with the sailors’ lot. When Musson explained the issue, the man exclaimed: “It’s my responsibility to decide who pays, not those b s in London!”
Dec 18, 2020
SOME minutes of technical meetings discussing Jersey’s Covid response were published yesterday afternoon – after months of delays.
Deputy Kevin Pamplin Picture: ROB CURRIE. (29850869)
The government has been heavily criticised after failing to publish the minutes of the Scientific Technical Advisory Cell meetings after July, despite a States decision requiring them to do so.
Ministers have always said the medical professionals involved in those meetings were busy co-ordinating the response to Covid and juggling their day jobs and therefore signing off the minutes for publication was not a priority.
Minutes for meetings up to September have been published.
In the States yesterday, Senator John Le Fondré denied that ministers were showing contempt for the States Assembly by ignoring the approved proposition from Deputy Kevin Pamplin about publishing the minutes.