NEWS FROM LABOUR: Vernon Coaker MP, Shadow Defence Secretary, responding to the launch of the Army recruitment drive, said: 

“This is an acknowledgement by the Government that Labour was right to say there’s more needed to be done to meet recruitment targets. Labour has called on the Government to act to ensure Britain isn’t left with a significant capability gap. This is an overdue but welcome step to address those concerns.

"There has been a worrying decrease in morale amongst serving Armed Forces, particularly in the Army, as our servicemen and women don’t feel they are valued as much as they should be. That is something that needs to be properly looked at and rectified.

"Labour previously called for the Government to pause its reductions to numbers in the regular Army until it was clear there could be adequate uplift in the numbers of reserves. We hope the recruitment campaign is a success. This really is the last chance for the Government to get its Army reform plans back on track.”