General Election: Labour pledges to bring in Armed Forces Commissioner to support military veterans

Leader Sir Keir Starmer visited Portsmouth for the D-Day commemorations on Southsea Common last week, meeting local veterans and sea cadets. The party is also pledging to put the Armed Forces Covenant into law to strengthen the rights of veterans, service personnel and their families.

Mr Starmer said: “The ultimate service is that of our armed forces personnel and veterans. Britain owes a huge debt of gratitude for all they have given our country. My changed Labour Party, once again a party of service, will repay that commitment with a new package of support for veterans, service personnel and their families.

“We will establish a new armed forces commissioner and enshrine a new Armed Forces Covenant fully into law.” The armed forces commissioner will be an independent individual which is tasked with supporting service personnel and their families.

Portsmouth South candidate Stephen Morgan said: “We must remember the deep gratitude and respect serving men and women of our Armed Forces deserve and the treatment they should be entitled to. That’s why Labour has set out how we will improve the lives of those who serve and their families in Portsmouth and elsewhere.

“With a new independent champion, a legal guarantee of fair treatment and ensuring our veterans are properly respected, we will right the wrongs of recent years in the treatment of our Forces and their families.” The Conservative Party has pledged to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by reducing the number of civil servants.