 |
Fair Pay for Our Armed Forces- Rennie
September 7, 2009 3:00 PM
Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson Willie Rennie has condemned the "shameful" levels of pay given to our armed forces and has called for immediate action to restore the military covenant between the Armed Forces and the people.
Under proposals announced this week by the Liberal Democrats, the most junior ranks of the armed forces would receive a £6,000 pay rise to boost morale. Other privates and lance corporals would get an average salary increase of at least £3,000, with an extra £1,000 for higher non-commissioned officer ranks.
The move would cost between £300 and £400 million and should be funded from existing the Ministry of Defence budget by slashing the number of ''desk jobs'' by 10,000.
Commenting Mr Rennie said:
''Nobody can put a price on the sacrifices our troops make on our behalf, but it is clear to everyone that pay levels are shamefully low for the lower ranks.
''At the moment there is one MoD desk job for every two servicemen. We believe the ratio should be reduced, particularly as so many desk jobs in MoD are already done by serving officers.
''We can't continue to reward the bravery of lions with peanuts. The Liberal Democrats will ensure that no soldier, sailor or airman goes into harm's way on less basic pay than a new recruit to the police or fire service."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats