Campaign to get a fair deal for our troops

3.04.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 4th Sep 2009

Nick Clegg MP meeting soldiers in Afghanistan

A campaign to get a fair deal for our troops has been launched by the Liberal Democrats. A key part of the campaign is a call for armed forces pay to match that of police officers and firefighters.

Chelmsford Lib Dem candidate Stephen Robinson commented, "It is outrageous that those people who put their lives on the line every day have fallen so far behind in the pay league tables. I have spoken to a number of former service personnel locally and it is clear that they are left in the lurch all too often.

"If the Ministry of Defence did not waste so much money on bad purchasing, big equipment items that are inappropriate today and cost overruns, we could easily afford to support the front line troops."

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg MP added:

"Nobody can put a price on the sacrifices our troops make on our behalf, but it's clear to everyone that pay levels are shamefully low for the lower ranks. We can't continue to reward the bravery of lions with peanuts.

"We need to take action now to restore the military covenant between the Armed Forces and the people.

"There is widespread dissatisfaction over pay among the lower ranks. This has a dreadful impact on morale and retention. We will find the money to pay for this from inside the MoD. It's ridiculous that we have one civilian for every man or woman in uniform, and almost 1000 people working in communications alone."

Major reform is necessary to reduce costs within the department. Those savings should go to where they are really necessary, to the people prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice."

Essex Lib Dem MP Bob Russell added: "Soldiers from the Colchester-based 16 Air Assault Brigade deserve a better deal than they currently get. I am delighted that the Liberal Democrats are proposing that they should be better rewarded."

Last year Mr Russell twice visited troops serving in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He is a member of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Defence Team. He is also a post-graduate of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme and a Parliamentary Adviser to The Royal British Legion.

Read more details about the campaign at: http://www.nickclegg.com/armedforcespay/

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