Latest polling from the Express showing that three in five Britons would not be willing to fight if our country came under attack should concern us all. We have to understand that the military threats to our country are greater than at any time since the Cold War.
Just this week, for all his sham talk of peace, Putin launched waves of bombers over Kyiv, killing yet more innocent civilians – including children.
Yet, at a time when we face such severe threats, what message is the government sending to young people considering a career in the Armed Forces? Ministers are planning to repeal our legacy laws, threatening veterans with vexatious legal claims. How can we expect the next generation to enlist when they see soldiers who served decades ago left to fight endless battles in the courts?
In particular, we need to understand that the issue is not just about the desire of future generations to enlist – it’s also about the willingness of those who already serve to stay in the forces; retention, as much as recruitment.
That means one thing above all else – showing the men and women of our armed forces that the nation has their back, by properly investing in our Armed Forces and improving the lived experience of those who serve.
Yes, we need our personnel to have the best kit to fight with – but it also means focusing on the home front, such as housing for military families.
As Minister for Defence Procurement in the previous Government I oversaw a major breakthrough in service family accommodation, doing the lion’s share of the work to buy back the defence estate. The deal completed under this Government and offers an amazing opportunity to comprehensively upgrade the defence estate.
This is why the first policy I announced as Shadow Defence Secretary was the creation of a Forces’ Housing Association, to make sure we seize the moment and truly deliver high quality ‘homes for heroes’.
Ultimately, we should not underestimate our young people. I believe that if we are honest with the public about the threats we face, and fully fund the armed forces to respond – making us more secure as a nation – we can turn the tide on the recruitment and retention challenge. But it will take serious leadership from the Government, and they should start by dropping plans to repeal laws protecting our veterans from lawfare.
