Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, Nia Griffith MP, visited Portsmouth today to tour HM Naval Base and a charity supporting veterans.
Ms Griffith was joined by Labour’s first ever Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, for the morning’s tour of the constituency.
The visit included a tour by bus and boat around the Historic Dockyard and HM Naval Base with the base commander, Commodore Jeremy Rigby CBE ADC, taking a walk through new buildings to provide infrastructure support to the new carriers, as well as a review of the fleet base ported in their city.
The delegation managed a good view of HMS Queen Elizabeth moored at her berth as well as welcoming HMS Chiddingfold, a Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel returning home from deployment in the Gulf.
After the Naval Base tour, the delegation visited Company of Makers a CIC based at the Hotwalls, Old Portsmouth, a social enterprise funded via the Armed Forces Community Covenant Fund to encourage greater levels of understanding between the armed forces and civilian communities.
Funds raised through selling products contribute to workshops for those members of the armed forces community that have struggled with the transition to civilian life.
Stephen Morgan MP said:
“It was great to welcome Nia, the Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, to Portsmouth today, so I could show Nia how vital the Royal Navy is to Portsmouth, its local economy, and the city’s contribution to the defence and security of our nation.
Supporting those who dedicate their lives to serving in our armed forces is a priority for me as a local Member of Parliament.
It was therefore useful to take Nia along to a local social enterprise supporting greater understanding between the armed forces and the city’s civilian community”.
The next Labour government will ensure that our forces are properly equipped and resourced to respond to the range of threats that Britain will face tomorrow and into the future.
Stephen added:
“Labour are committed to looking after those who sacrifice so much to protect us and to promote security and stability around the world.
We will always stand up for our armed service personnel, veterans, and their families, and will treat them with the respect they deserve”.
