I was pleased to speak at a packed meeting of Labour Friends of the Forces in Westminster this week. It was an excellent opportunity to hear from some of the excellent Forces candidates who stood for Labour at the recent general election.
We fielded by far our strongest selection of former military candidates since 1945, all significantly increasing their share of the vote. Luke Pollard won in Plymouth Sutton and Stephen Morgan in Portsmouth South. Labour’s two Army veterans Dan Jarvis and Clive Lewis both increased their majorities, while Army reservist Paul Sweeney took Glasgow North East.
The meeting underlined the vital link that has always existed between the Labour Party and the Forces community, as well as our shared determination to call out the Conservative Government’s appalling record on defence and support for our Armed Forces community.