10/01/2010 - Denis Healy calls for fair pay for servicemen and women
Denis Healy is backing a 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.
Prospective Liberal Democrat MP, Denis Healy, has returned from the party's conference in Bournemouth this week, with a call for a big pay rise for servicemen and women risking their lives on the Afghan frontline.
Mr Healy is backing a 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.
Denis Healy 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.
"The Liberal Democrats would 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 will pay for this by reducing the number of civil servants within the MoD, where at the moment there is one desk job for every two servicemen.
"We need to stop short changing our troops."
Full News Archive List