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I joined Labour’s Shadow Defence Minister, Nia Griffith MP, on Armed Forced Day to call for a better deal for our armed forces personnel.

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Our Armed Forces have been hit by rent rises, pay restraint, and changes to tax and benefits, putting real pressure on service personnel and their families. This lack of investment in our Forces personnel is risking recruitment and retention levels when our Armed Forces are already shrinking.

I believe we have a duty to properly reward and remunerate our Armed Forces and the Government should therefore lift the public sector pay cap, allowing the Armed Forces Pay Review Body to make pay recommendations that reflect the hard work of our Forces personnel. Our Armed Forces are driven by the hardworking men and women who serve and it is time the Government recognised that.