Britain’s brave soldiers, who continue to fight and die abroad while the election campaign progresses in this country, would each receive a medal under UKIP plans to recognise and reward armed forces personnel.
Along with a pledge to spend an extra 40% on the annual defence budget to ensure British forces are properly equipped, UKIP’s defence policy paper outlines plans to introduce a ‘National Defence Medal’ which will also honour the country’s forgotten heroes.
The plan comes as the Bishop of Meniva this week echoed the calls of people across the country who want Britain’s armed forces treated with respect and rewarded for the extraordinary work they do.
Speaking at the funeral of one of Britain’s most recently killed servicemen, The Right Reverend Tom Burns asked: “To our politicians…When will there be a surge in funding…and the ongoing military support to bring it about? To pay for better military vehicles, more and better helicopters and better intelligence.”
UKIP believes the men and women fighting in the name of Britain not only deserve significantly more funding, but that those who served during campaigns such as Korea, the Cold War, and against the IRA also deserve to be feted as heroes.
In addition, the medal would be awarded to the veterans of national service, to say thank you for their hugely valuable contributions to the country.
Read more about the National Defence Medal and download UKIP’s defence policy here
5 responses to Party would honour every British soldier
Britain is virtually the only ‘player’ in World affairs that does not honour its Servicemen and women with some sort of medal to acknowledge their devoted service to their country. This, to me, means that the regard in which British forces are held by those that oversee them, is seriously flawed. Sadly, that is borne out by the shortages of equipment bedevilling British Forces and the shoddy living conditions that Servicemen’s families have to endure. The lack of dedicated Military medical services in the UK is another facet of this shortfall in duty of care and simple respect.
Properly set up, the concept of a National defence Medal could be a means of ensuring that the last mentioned problem is greatly diminished. Simply by making any retrospective issue of a NDM payable by the recipient if he or she desires to acquire one, The VAT component thereof could easily be disbursed to such as Help 4 Heroes and thus Veterans would be instrumental in helping those that follow in their footsteps. Those that do not want one need not purchase one. The simple truth is that there is no valid excuse for continuing to ignore the legitimate demands of Veterans from many era’s since the end of WW2, for a medal of recognition.
The NDM would be a service medal common to ALL ranks and all arms of the British Armed Forces, in simple recognition of service rendered. Just as it is in the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces.
Party would honour every British soldier
Fantastic news, great to see a political party with some balls to back up the rhetoric with a real promise. Long overdue we are so far behind the rest of the commonwealth, NATO and the western world in our recognition of our magniicent Armed Forces.
I am pleased that there are some M.P’s willing to stand up for serving and ex military personal, I was appalled by the Goverment for not issue-ing the “Queen Elizerbeth Medal” to all wounded members of the armed forces, I along with many, many more ex mil guys was wounded in N.Ireland in 1972 I would like to be recongnized for my sacrifice for my Queen & country, but they decided to only give it to the family’s of the guy’s killed in action, I feel very bitter that the wounded are forgotten again. Thank you. Ken.
Party would honour every British soldier
Successive Governments have treated serving members and veterans of HM Forces very badly. So badly in some cases that it is abuse. There is so much talk about the lack in modern society of human qualities such as respect, duty, honour and so on. Yet the very element of society that epitomises these qualities are ignored, scorned, abused and abandoned. Politicains would serve themselves and their country much better if they properly recognised and rewarded the Armed Forces. When a person joins the HM Armed Forces, he or she is not just giving up some important rights that civilians enjoy but are signing a blank cheque that says the price they are prepared to pay goes as high as giving up their lives. The other side of the coin is that they are asked by politicians to take other peoples’ lives -- something that the cowardly politicians are not prepared to do themselves. That is what “just being a member of the Armed Forces involves”. It might be interesting to do a count of how many modern politicians and civil servants have served in HM Armed Forces. I support your views and I hope your party will use what political influence it has to change attitudes and improve the conditions of serving personnel and veterans.
Party would honour every British soldier
Tories betraying British troops.
Sick Tories have accused British troops of carrying out a “saga of atrocities” in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In a leaflet specially designed to be distributed in Muslim areas. This is disgusting when these brave men and women are laying down their lives to keep us safe, and what an insult to the dead and injured of the armed forces.
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