_
_

_
_

_

 

Mark Versallion
Parliamentary Candidate for Stretford and Urmston

05Nov07

INDEPENDENT REPORT SAYS MILITARY 'LET DOWN'

Low pay and poor accommodation for military personnel are the result of a breakdown in the Military Covenant between the military and government.

Prospective Conservative MP, Cllr Mark Versallion, commented today on the report by the Demos Think Tank that "this independent report highlights what many in the forces have believed for a long time, that our military is under constant strain and yet is not receiving sufficient support."

The Demos report, entitled Out of Step, argues that UK forces are overstretched and their purpose is unclear. Recruitment and retention has been damaged by a lack of understanding of their mission in the eyes of the public.

Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Mark Versallion, who is also a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Reserve, said of the report, "Unless you are not in the military it's very unlikely you'll feel like Britain is at war... but we are, and on two fronts." He added " The UK's military is doing more doing more with less these days and some argue it is unsustainable unless the Government stops cutting corners.

Mr Versallion added, "the Demos report says there is too high a proportion of MoD resource focused on hardware at the expense of human resources, with pay, working conditions and accommodation all below standard."

"Defence spending has not kept pace with the needs of the three services and starting salaries for military personnel compare badly with other public services, like the police and the fire brigade. Around £5bn is needed over the next decade to bring service accommodation up to standard," Mark Versallion added.

"I'm convinced our military continues to be held in high regard by the public but for most people, issues closer to home take prioirity, like hospitals and schools - and that's where most believe taxes should be focused. But it is the duty of Government to take the broader and more strategic view of national issues. This Military Covenant as it is known means looking after our military must be one of these priorities."

"I was always concerned about this Government's understanding of and commitment to the military, but when Gordon Brown made the job of Secretary of State for Defence a part-time job in June 2007, sharing it with SoS for Scotland, my heart sank." Cllr Versallion added, "and the fact that during the early 1980s the Government spent almost 5% of GDP on defence whereas today the figure is closer to 2.5%, speaks for itself.

The Demos report makes six key recommendations:

- Review the MoD organisation in light of the new national security strategy
- Improve the public's understanding of the military missions
- Prioritise better pay and accommodation over high-tech equipment
- Debate the cost of overseas deployments and the benefits to UK security
- Repair the Military Covenant between forces, their families and the public
- Prioritise the military's domestic duties: counter-terrorism, national disasters, and protection of the UK.

The Broken Covenant
The Military Covenant is found in the Army Doctrine Publication and is an agreement between the Army and the nation that whilst service personnel forgo some rights and are prepared to risk their lives for the nation, the nation in return must ensure that they and their families are properly looked after.

A Defence Select Committee report published in September 2007 found that: "the condition of some SLA [Single Living Accommodation or Barracks] remains appalling" (House of Commons Defence Committee, The Work of Defence Estates, 14Sep07).