On Saturday we thank and commemorate the service of men and women in our military, by celebrating Armed Forces Day with events being held across the country, including here in Barnsley.

I am proud to have always been a strong supporter of our armed forces.

Nearly all of us will have loved ones whose service we look back upon with pride. My grandad, Bobby, served with pride in the RAF during the Second World War.

Sadly, over the last 13 years, the Government, by their own admission, has “hollowed out” our armed forces. Since 2010, they have cut the full-time strength of our armed forces by 45,000. One in five ships have been removed from the Royal Navy’s fleet. And more than 200 aircraft have been taken out of RAF service in the last five years alone.

They also have cut the size of the Army by 25,000 full time troops to 76,000 since 2010. Despite increased threats from Putin’s war in Ukraine, ministers are cutting down further to 73,000 troops by 2025 – the smallest size of the British Army since Napoleon, an issue that I previously raised with the Defence Minister in Parliament.

Over the last 13 years the Government has corroded the nation’s moral contract with those who serve in our armed forces. Personnel living in damp and mouldy housing, satisfaction with service life falling well below 50 per cent, and retention rates dropping. Defence plans must ensure our heroes have good homes to live in and fully incorporate the Armed Forces Covenant into law.

In response to this, the Labour Party have launched two initiatives, “Veterans Voice” and “Homes fit for Heroes”. The first is a listening programme to ensure that Labour’s plans for the next general election reflect the experiences of veterans and their families. And “Homes fit for Heroes” is a plan of how Labour will ensure our heroes will have a good home to live in.

We are also calling on Ministers to reboot defence plans after the illegal invasion of Ukraine by halting army cuts, ensuring our NATO obligations are fulfilled and renewing Britain’s contract with our forces.

Late last year, The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Veterans, which I co-chair, launched a survey to gauge the experiences of military veterans when dealing with ‘Veterans UK’, which is the organisation that deals with compensation, war pensions and broader financial support on behalf of the Ministry of Defence. I was pleased that following the results of the survey, the Government committed to undertake a review into veterans’ compensation schemes.

Over recent weeks, I have had the pleasure of joining veterans locally at their monthly breakfast club. The strength of camaraderie at these events is always a pleasure to see and it was great to catch up with veterans of all ages to discuss the issues that matter most to them.

I was also proud to visit Barnsley’s Help 4 Homeless Veterans, as they celebrated a year since they opened their premises in the town centre. They have helped hundreds of veterans across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and I commend the work that they are doing.

Whilst Armed Forces Day is incredibly important, recognising the service of our armed forces personnel cannot just be one day of the year. We must show that we recognise that service every day of the year by providing the support that they need.

We must never forget the sacrifices they have made and continue to make and I thank all of our service personnel, past and present.