The covenant with our armed forces

I believe passionately in supporting serving and former armed forces personnel and their families and if elected to Parliament they can expect me to be an advocate on their behalf.

So when I was at the Labour Party conference last week I made sure I attended the fringe meeting organised by the Royal British Legion. I talked with RBL officials and with the families of service personnel on active duty abroad and was moved by their stories of quiet heroism.

Conservative attacks on the Government?s record are cynical and dishonest, especially given the way the last Conservative Government ran down our armed forces. However, I am clear that as we ask more and more of our service personnel we should continually reassess the level of support we provide to them and their families.

That?s why I welcome whole heartedly yesterday?s announcement by the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Defence of extra funding for Wiltshire and Swindon coroner David Masters, who deals with inquests for service personnel repatriated through RAF Lyneham. The move is intended to deal with the continuing problem of inquest delays and backlogs. The bereaved families of service personnel who have been killed on active duty abroad should be entitled to know as quickly as possible the circumstances in which their loved ones died.