Honouring the Armed Forces

For many, military service is not a lucrative career – the pay, despite recent increases, is modest for the length of time that a recruit can expect to spend overseas on a tour of duty. In many parts of the North, it is the only alternative to joining the unemployment register.

That said, it is perturbing that so many local authorities fail to pay sufficient heed to the sacrifices made by those young soldiers, sailors and pilots who choose to serve their country.

This mindset was supposed to change when the then Labour government introduced council tax rebates in 2008 for personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The logic was sound: why should they pay this bill when they’re not in a position to use local services?

Yet, three years on and with the much vaunted Military Covenant still to be signed off, this rebate remains the best that some members of the Armed Forces can expect – despite every senior politician choosing to bask, at some point, in the reflected glory of the military’s enduring bravery.

This is why Hull’s attempt to become one of the most forces-friendly cities in the country is so commendable, and that its initiative also take account of the merchant seamen who have played such a pivotal role in the port’s history.

Those agencies who have come together to sign The City of Hull Armed Forces and Veterans’ Charter have shown what can be achieved when there is sufficient will, and there is no reason why the key components cannot be replicated elsewhere.

There will, of course, be those who believe that services like free financial advice are not feasible in the current economic climate. Such a viewpoint, however, is naive.

For many, military service is still a relatively short vocation – very few soldiers, for example, go on to enjoy lengthy careers at the Ministry of Defence. As such, it is incumbent upon every local authority, and the Government, to ensure that the transition from the battlefield to civvy street is a smooth one.