Red Arrows petition: Number 10’s reply

Many readers of this blog have shown interest in an item we carried a long time ago about the participation of the Red Arrows in the 2012 Olympics. Many signed a petition to the PM on the subject. We have just received the PM’s response to the petition:

We’re glad to tell you there is absolutely no truth – and never has been – in the idea that the Government has banned the Red Arrows from the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The Prime Minister was delighted to see the role the Red Arrows played in the celebrations on the Mall after the Beijing Games, and they have always played a significant part in great festivals of celebration in Britain in recent years. Indeed, the Red Arrows played a memorable role when they flew over Trafalgar Square in 2005 to mark London winning the Games.

Decisions on the nature of the Olympic opening ceremony are a matter for the 2012 organising committee, and with four years to go, they have not made their decisions yet. However, the Prime Minister has made clear he would be delighted to see the Red Arrows perform in the celebrations in 2012.