Last weekend, I headed down the Southsea Common to mark Armed Forces Day in Portsmouth.
It was a pleasure to speak with so many service personnel and charities at the event, and even try the bagpipes for the first time!
So many members of our community have dedicated their lives to making us safe.
That is why the Government is determined to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve, who have served, and Forces families.
These brave men and women put their lives on the line for our country every day, and they are key to our national safety. And the families that sacrifice so much support them. They truly are the best of us.
I’m proud of what the Labour Government has achieved for our service personnel in just 11 months.
We are showing our thanks by giving them the biggest pay rise in over 20 years last year, and another pay rise this year that beats inflation.
We are taking military homes back under public control, buying 36,000 houses, and putting over £7 billion into military housing this parliament.
This will fix old problems, speed up urgent repairs, and provide good homes for our heroes.
We’re also setting up our new VALOUR system to help veterans easily find support for housing, jobs, and health.
This month, we began looking for the UK’s first Armed Forces Commissioner – an independent champion for service members and their families. This person will be a direct contact for raising concerns about military life, like housing, equipment, and wellbeing.
We are updating old ways of hiring, creating more chances for people and bringing the best talent into the forces. We are also making young people excited about a career in our Armed Forces and teaching them important life skills by growing our Cadet force by 30% by 2030, as part of our defence review.
This Labour Government is set on fixing the defence issues of the last 14 years. We know that connecting Britain with our service members is more important than ever, and we must strengthen ties between our Armed Forces community and the public.
To show this change, I’m proud that the Government is making Armed Forces Day bigger and better by bringing back the National Event for the first time since 2023. Thanks to a great effort by Melanie Onn MP, Cleethorpes, a place with strong military ties, will host the National Event. It will feature the Red Arrows and both modern and historic air displays.
In these challenging times, we need everyone to understand what the Armed Forces do to stop threats and keep us safe.
And we must remember those who served in the past. So this week, I hope you will all join me in honouring and celebrating those who serve, have served, and our wider Forces community.
