Aylesbury Liberal Democrats have called for the Government to award big pay rises to military personnel many of whom are risking their lives on the Afghanistan frontline. The new Liberal Democrat policy is set to give the worst paid servicemen and women, who earn less than trainee police officers and fire fighters, pay rises worth almost £6,000 a year.

Steven Lambert 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 hungry.

This policy would massively benefit so many servicemen and women living in Wendover, Aston Clinton and Aylesbury, who would be freed from the shackles of poor pay.

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.”

Notes for editors
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.”
5. 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.
6. For more information please visit www.NickClegg.com/ArmedForcesPay