On Armistice Day, we come together here in Portsmouth – the heart and home of the Royal Navy – to honour those who fought and died so we could live in freedom. We will remember them.
To all those who have served in our armed forces, those serving today, and their families: I want to say a profound ‘thank you’.
I know our proud city will never take their service for granted.
As our world becomes more dangerous, the men and women in our armed forces safeguard the freedom and peace we all inherited.
As your MP, I am committed to ensuring they, and our military veterans, know that this is a Labour government that is on their side. And not just this week, but all year round.
That’s why I’m proud Labour in Government is delivering:
- The biggest pay rise our forces have seen in two decades.
- A new £50 million VALOUR programme, the first ever UK-wide support system for veterans.
- The biggest renewal of Armed Forces housing in more than 50 years, backed by a £9 billion investment.
- The Armed Forces Covenant fully into law.
- The first ever Armed Forces Commissioner, an independent voice for forces and their families who will report to Parliament, not to Ministers.
This year, in Portsmouth and across the country, we marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the deadliest conflict in human history.
We honour our Second World War generation who made victory possible and secured the freedoms we enjoy today. They know – in ways we cannot – the cost of conflict and the price of peace.
Not since their time has our security been so gravely tested.
Just as it was 80 years ago, our task today is to secure peace in Europe and to forge stronger deterrence against future conflict – a task to which Labour is totally committed.
The government has pledged the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, and this year we are providing the highest level of military aid to Ukraine ever.
Here in Portsmouth, I was pleased to secure from the Chancellor significant investment in our Naval Base, guaranteeing a bright future for the base.
This is a decisive break from 14 years during which Tory ministers hollowed out and underfunded Britain’s Armed Forces. Labour is leading a generational renewal.
And with this rising investment, we are making defence an engine for growth, creating jobs and opportunities in Portsmouth and communities across the UK.
This Armistice Day, we honour the bravery of all who came before — and we renew our promise to stand by those who serve today.
Stephen Morgan MP
