Labour throws weight behind ‘reinvigorated’ Friends of Forces on Armed Forces Day

MARKING the 14th anniversary of Labour introduced Armed Forces Day and against the backdrop of a decade of Tory failure to invest in defence, Labour’s leadership has supported the relaunch of a renewed Labour Friends of Forces (LFF).

With a new offer to members, fresh mission statement and support from the Labour leader, LFF has set out how exactly it will create an effective forum for bolstering the party’s connection with the force’s community and winning back the public’s faith Labour’s stance on defence.

This year’s Armed Forces Day comes against a backdrop of Tory defence failure. Troop pay increases have been delayed for a second year running, for the fourth consecutive year the Ombudsman has found a vastly underperforming complaints system, and satisfaction along with morale has been declining for a decade as the armed forces continuous attitudes survey has revealed.

And, the current administration is not just failing the troops themselves. A decade of crude Tory defence cuts has left the Army alone falling 8,000 personnel short of the Government’s own targets.

Labour Friends of the Forces has announced a renewed offer to its members including:
Direct line to frontbench Shadow Defence team
Programme of events spanning every region across the UK
Cut-rate membership
Access to a group of other individuals interested in defence

Cllr Rob James, Leader of Carmarthenshire Labour said:
“Armed Forces Day is about celebrating and paying tribute to our forces community who for time eternal have been there when Britain is on the back foot.

Amid Covid-19 we are reminded of their continual value to our society. From setting up test centres to delivering PPE, they are helping the nation through this challenging period.

This Armed Forces Day, I am delighted to get behind Labour’s fresh new Friends of the Forces group that will help us listen to and support the service community that continues to deliver for the nation. I urge supporters in my constituency to get involved”.

The mission statement of LFF is to build the party’s relationship with serving personnel, veterans and their families; nurture and identify future candidates from a military background; improve the party’s understanding of issues effecting the service community; and create a forum for training, discussion and development for the group’s membership.