On Sunday I laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of every Blackpool South resident. In Parliament’s Constituency Garden of Remembrance, I planted a tribute to those from Blackpool South who gave their lives and those who serve today. These moments are deeply personal to me.
My grandad Dougie Webb served in the second world war, fighting fascism across Europe. I think of him often, and of the millions of people like him who answered the call to protect this country.
This year I finished the RAF phase of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme and started the Royal Navy course. The scheme gives MPs and peers with no military background a proper look at service life.
I have met engineers, pilots, medics, apprentices, cyber specialists and logisticians. What stays with me is their humility. There is no ego. People serve for their country, their communities and the person beside them.
Remembrance carries a responsibility. When my grandad and others came home from the war, they expected a fair deal and in 1945 a Labour government gave them one. A welfare state, an NHS and homes for heroes showed that service deserves respect. Our veterans have not had the same dignity in recent decades and I am proud that this Labour government is putting that right.
National security is the foundation everything else rests on. It depends on people, including those who live with the physical and emotional toll long after they take off the uniform. That’s why, since the election, the government has delivered the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, with 3% of GDP on defence by 2030 and 3.5% by 2035.
We’ve published a Defence Investment Plan backed by £289bn over four years and we’ve awarded the largest armed forces pay rise in over 20 years, followed this year by a third above-inflation rise of 3.6%
Importantly, we’ve appointed an Armed Forces Commissioner to improve life for service personnel and their families, and we’ve brought 36,000 military homes back into public ownership, with a £9bn Defence Housing Strategy to build homes fit for our heroes.
We have extended the Armed Forces Covenant, launched a 10-year Veterans Strategy and VALOUR is now rolling out nationally. Veterans and their families can get joined-up support in person at a VALOUR centre, online through the new VALOUR website on GOV.UK, or through MOD Veterans Services for more complex cases. If you have served your country, finding help should not be a battle.
I’ve supported the Royal British Legion all my life – attending parades and services every year and running the London Marathon to raise money for them. If you see a poppy seller in Blackpool, please give what you can and wear yours with pride.
Remembrance is more than a moment of silence once a year. Today and always, we remember and we support those who served and those who serve now.
