Britain’s Armed Forces have seen starting pay plummet by almost £1,200 over the past decade, figures reveal
BRITAIN’S Armed Forces have effectively seen starting pay plummet by almost £1,200 over the past decade, shock figures reveal.
New recruits were paid £17,015 in 2010 — the equivalent of £20,018 at today’s prices.
But they get only £18,859 now, leaving them £1,159 poorer after inflation, thanks to years of a one per cent public sector salary increase cap. The figures were unearthed by Labour ahead of Armed Forces Day on Saturday.
Col Richard Kemp, Britain’s former commander in Afghanistan, told The Sun increasing starting pay “should be a very high property for whoever is the new Prime Minister”.
Shadow defence secretary Nia Griffith MP said: “As a country, we are rightly proud of our highly skilled servicemen and women.
“But under the Conservatives, our Armed Forces have had a raw deal. The Government has delivered short-sighted defence cuts.”
The Sun Says
IT’S time the Government did right by our depleted and demoralised forces — with a decent pay rise.
For years they were held to the 1 per cent public sector pay cap the Tories imposed to help fix the finances Gordon Brown destroyed.
But recruits are now paid the equivalent of £1,159 less than in 2010. The starting salary is still just £18,859.
That cannot be right. Especially when we are told austerity is over.
It’s Armed Forces Day this Saturday. The Government should celebrate it with a decent bung to our heroes.
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After mounting pressure, the Government forked out for a 2.9 per cent pay increase last July.
Last month The Sun revealed top brass fear they are 10,000 troops short of the number they need to keep Britain safe.
An MoD spokesman said: “To further recognise the role of the Armed Forces, the Defence Secretary recently announced plans to ensure the lowest paid members receive a living wage.”
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