THE first duty of any Government is to keep our country safe and secure.

At the heart of our security are the men and women who serve in our armed forces and risk their lives in defence of our nation.

The professionalism and bravery of our service personnel are rightly respected across the world. However, too often in the recent past they have been let down by government, resulting in morale in our military being at a record low, and our armed forces facing a recruitment and retention crisis.

One of my first visits as the new MP for Lothian East was to the East Lothian Veterans Breakfast Club with the Provost, John McMillan, who is also the council’s armed forces champion. I was also honoured to join the community in Haddington in paying tribute to our armed forces, veterans and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation on Remembrance Sunday.

However, it is vital that as well as honouring those who have served and sacrificed in the past, we also look after those who are serving now. That is why this Government is committed to renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve and their families, with the first act being the largest pay rise for forces personnel in over 20 years.

One of our key manifesto commitments was to establish an independent armed forces commissioner to improve service life for our forces and the families who support them. The legislation to establish this new role was introduced earlier this month.

The commissioner will be a direct point of contact for serving personnel and their families to raise any issues of concern. They will have access to personnel, to information and to defence sites, and the power to proactively investigate and report on issues which materially impact service life. It is an important step in putting people at the heart of our defence plans.