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Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Beith MPLiberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick Upon TweedWorking for you and the Berwick upon Tweed Constituency all year roundin Northumberland and in Westminster |
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Petition growing as Beith calls for fair pay for armed forces
January 4, 2010 9:30 AM
Alan Beith MP and Mike Moore MP are calling for a fair deal for our armed forces.
Over 200 people have signed local MP Alan Beith's petition calling for the Government to award big pay rises to military personnel many of whom are risking their lives on the Afghanistan frontline.
Sir Alan Beith, MP for Berwick upon Tweed, is backing the new Liberal Democrat policy to give the worst paid servicemen and women, who earn less than trainee police officers and firefighters, pay rises worth almost £6,000 a year.
Sir Alan said
"Every day young men and women are putting their lives on the line, fighting in terrible conditions in Afghanistan.
"What is their reward from this Labour Government? Shockingly poor pay that leaves them on the poverty line and their families back at home struggling to make ends meet.
"The Liberal Democrats will put a stop to this straight away. We will raise the pay of the lowest paid troops by an extra £6,000 a year. The average basic pay across the ranks of private and lance corporal would rise to around £25,000.
"We need to stop short-changing our troops. People from all over the constituency are telling me that they are backing this campaign."
If you want to sign Sir Alan Beith's petition, visit http://www.alanbeith.org.uk/petitions/3.html or phone the Constituency Office on 01665 602901 for a petition form.
New recruits to the police receive £22,680 basic pay. A junior firefighter receives £22,038 basic pay. More than 51,000 members of the Armed Forces (over a quarter) receive less than that. About 13,000 personnel receive £16,681 - the basic pay for the lowest paid private.
Under Liberal Democrat proposals a fully trained private would receive an average basic hourly wage of £9.44 (up from the current £6.74 an hour), amounting to £430 a week, a pay rise of £115.
The average basic pay across the ranks of private and lance corporal would rise to around £25,000. They will receive an average basic hourly wage of £10.40 an hour, up from the current £8.80 an hour. That is £480 a week, an extra £73 a week.
Hunger charity Foodbank has had to help 245 struggling military spouses and children in three years (The Sun, 3 Aug 09). Foodbank's Jeremy Ravn: "It's very distressing to see Forces people in this state. It is heartbreaking."
The Liberal Democrat policy will cost between £300 and £400 million - one per cent of the Ministry of Defence's total budget. It will be paid for by reducing the number of civil servants within the MoD where at the moment there is one desk job for every two servicemen.
For more information about the Liberal Democrats' campaign please visit www.NickClegg.com/ArmedForcesPay
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