Before I call Dr Luke Evans to move the motion, it will be apparent to everyone that a good number of speakers want to participate. To give fair warning to all Back-Bench speakers, I am afraid we will have to limit you to about two and a half minutes. We will start doing so informally, and if everyone can keep to that, we should be able to get everyone in. If not, we will have to impose a formal time limit.
That this House has considered the contribution of the Royal British Legion.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy.
The poppy stands tall, with bended head—the perfect personification of honouring our dead. Every year, one of the most iconic flowers is seen and respected across this nation, and it is down to the work of the Royal British Legion. Today, I am honoured and humbled to mark the contributions of the RBL to this country in Parliament. Looking at Hansard for the last time the Royal British Legion was a topic of debate, I had to scroll back to 2013, so it is a pleasure to bring this debate to the House ahead of the 80th anniversary of VE Day, which is just around the corner. I will talk about the role of the RBL nationally, but I particularly want to reflect on my local branch, as its story exemplifies and typifies what is happening up and down the nation to support our veterans and influence people’s heads and hearts. It was Thornton Wilder who said:
“The greatest tribute to the dead is not grief, but gratitude”,
and the RBL embodies that sentiment perfectly.
At this point, I must declare an interest: I have the great privilege to be the president of the Hinckley branch of the Royal British Legion. That is particularly fitting, as I took up the role in 2023, which was the centenary of the formation of Hinckley and district’s Royal British Legion. Who was the first president in 1923? It was the then Conservative and Unionist Member for Bosworth and my predecessor but three, Major Thomas Guy Paget.
In 2023, I talked in the main Chamber about the RBL and the work of local volunteers around Remembrance Sunday, and highlighted the particular work of Elaine Ward, who received a medal from the RBL to commemorate her five decades of service in fundraising for the poppy appeal. I asked the then Leader of the House if we could have a debate on the volunteers who support the RBL. It took some time, but I am pleased to say that we finally secured today’s debate.
I know that Members present will be aware of the fantastic contributions that the RBL makes to all our communities nationally, but it would be remiss of me not to talk about some of its great work and the history behind it. The Royal British Legion is the largest armed forces charity in the UK. It was formed in May 1921 to care for those who were suffering as a result of their service during the first world war, and brought together four national organisations for ex-servicemen. Of those who came back from the first world war, 1.75 million suffered some form of disability, and half of them were permanently disabled, so the legion had important work to do right from its beginning. The first ever poppy appeal was held in 1921 and raised over £106,000, and it is a proud tradition that carries on 100 years later.
I thank the hon. Member for giving way and congratulate him on securing this debate. Does he agree that it is imperative at this stage, as that generation is unfortunately dying off, that the younger generation, particularly in schools, are told of the immense sacrifice that that previous generation made and the freedoms that we all owe to people like them?
The hon. Member is spot-on; it is pivotal to ensure that the story is continued all the way through, not only in our nation but across the world. He leads me nicely on to my next point, because the Royal British Legion education programme, which will bring stories from the second world war into classrooms using educational resources and digital capsules of VE Day stories, is under creation. The RBL is honouring the sacrifices of those who came before us while ensuring that their legacy shapes our future. Of course, it is not just world wars that we need to continue to remember but more recent conflicts, too: Korea; the Falklands; Northern Ireland; Bosnia and Kosovo; and the Gulf deployments in place like Iraq and, of course, Afghanistan.
Nationally, the RBL’s impact is undeniable—distinct, poignant, respectful and powerful—but an organisation is only as strong as the sum of its parts, so I turn to the Royal British Legion branches in Hinckley and Bosworth. I am privileged to have the following RBL branches in my constituency: Barwell and Earl Shilton; Burbage; Market Bosworth; Ashby-de-la-Zouch; and Ibstock.
The Hinckley branch is branch No. 96, being the 96th legion to be created since the Royal British Legion was formed in 1921. I know that it is continually active and proactive today, and is managed by some fantastic volunteers, not least the chairman, Lloyd Bagshaw, who is sitting in the Public Gallery today. He is ably supported by Lee Bushill, the vice chair; Mick Nolan, the treasurer; Kiah Brown, the secretary; Ian Walker and Troy Phillips, who are both standard bearers; Dave England, the parade marshal; Lew Snooks, the deputy parade marshal; and the aforementioned Elaine Ward, who is the poppy appeal organiser.
The Hinckley branch has organised numerous public events to commemorate key anniversaries from the Falklands to Korea and D-day. A key focus of the branch’s three-year plan is tackling social isolation, which affects veterans of all ages and is often linked to mental health concerns. The branch’s initiatives include visiting care homes to run accessible activities, participation in coffee mornings and breakfasts for veterans, teaching in schools, and providing support to bereaved families. Families may also request the branch’s standard bearers to attend services and pay homage to the fallen and to veterans. I can only imagine what that must mean to the families affected; it is a powerful demonstration of the community spirit that exists among the armed forces. Fundraising remains vital and the branch’s poppy appeal consistently raises over £40,000 annually. That is a significant total, which shows the perpetual gratitude and benevolent support of the district’s community.
I thank my hon. Friend for giving way and for securing this debate. He is absolutely right that branches are at the heart of the Royal British Legion, but so are the clubs. A number of clubs in my constituency, especially the Hindhead club in Beacon Hill, are under significant financial pressure due to increasing costs—not least, I am afraid, because the Royal British Legion is the landlord and is trying to put up the rent. Does my hon. Friend agree that it would be great if the Royal British Legion nationally and the Government came together to preserve the clubs as well as the branches?
The service contribution in the community is really important. The role an MP can play, as my hon. Friend no doubt does, is to pull everyone together to have these discussions and see whether a solution can be found. That veteran support is what we all crave in our constituencies, and I am pleased to see him championing his club today.
Turning to the national future and support for our veterans, I was pleased and proud of the last Government’s support for veterans. To give a brief overview, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs was set up in 2019 and the former Prime Minister appointed a Minister for Veterans’ Affairs to his Cabinet to report to him directly, with the aim of taking on the challenges faced by our nation’s veterans. Further work by the previous Government included a veterans’ strategy action plan, trauma network and health innovation fund. Therefore, it would be great to hear from the Minister today what steps the current Government are taking to build on the progress made by the previous Government to support the legion’s current priorities.
Those include: strengthening the armed forces covenant duty to include UK and devolved Governments and to cover all policy matters; ensuring that all public bodies ask individuals whether they or immediate family members have served in HM armed forces; ensuring that military compensation is never treated as an income source by means tests for welfare benefit; introducing a national protocol to provide consistent access to public services for armed forces’ families, including increased special educational needs and disabilities support for service children; and removing barriers for families of non-UK service personnel to stay in the UK, waiving fees for indefinite leave to remain and the minimum income requirement. Perhaps the Minister could supply reflections on those issues, as the RBL has raised them specifically.
Time is short; this speech is long. I thought it apt to close this speech simply by reflecting on what happens on the 11thday of the 11thmonth at the 11thhour. There are times when no words can do justice; silence is the only response that speaks the loudest—felt, felt but not forgotten.
Order. I am very grateful to the hon. Member. I remind everyone to continue to stand if they wish to contribute and that, if they stick to two and half minutes, we will try to get everybody in.
I thank the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for his thoughtful contribution. I put on the record my thanks to my local Royal British Legion branch in Lower Stratton, and to Pallbearer Jeff, who is an amazing guy.
I want to talk about why the Royal British Legion is important, as opposed to what it does. I am a proud veteran, as an ex-member of the armed forces in 1st Battalion the Rifles. One of the things that comes to mind when I think about what the Royal British Legion does is building a sense of community. I am not saying that people do not understand unless they have been in the military, but it is a job like no other, and it really becomes part of you. One of the saddest days of my life was when I was leaving, driving out of Beachley barracks, and knowing that I was not going to have that sense of community and belonging again. It was really quite emotional.
Until I visited my local branch, I did not really pick up on the fact that people do not necessarily have that community and that outreach in a place where they can go and talk to other veterans. The Royal British Legion does that fantastically. We see people leave the armed forces and lose their sense of purpose, their ability, their person and their identity. It is so important that they have a place where they can gather together.
I am short on time, so I will have to cut down my speech. I thank all the people out there who are putting this together. Day in, day out they are out there looking after the veterans, raising money, offering support with housing and being a friendly ear for people to talk to. I thank everyone in the Royal British Legion for all that they do. I am really looking forward to hearing what the Minister has to say, because I know he is working so hard on championing veterans. I cannot think of anyone better placed to be doing that, to be honest, because he gets it. I thank all Members for being here and I look forward to hearing their contributions.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. We gather today to recognise an organisation that exemplifies the values of service, sacrifice and solidarity—principles that are timeless yet often overlooked in our fast-paced world. The Royal British Legion stands as a testimony to those principles, and I wholeheartedly endorse its mission and work.
We owe a profound debt of gratitude to the men and women of our British armed forces, who courageously step towards danger while others step away. Providing them with essential assistance is not merely our duty: it should be our priority. The transition to civilian life poses significant challenges that affect their physical health, mental wellbeing and career prospects. The Royal British Legion offers critical support to address these challenges, honouring the dignity and respect that our British heroes rightfully deserve.
Sadly, too many families face the void left by the ultimate sacrifice, and many support loved ones dealing with lifelong physical and mental health traumas. It is our solemn duty to remember, and the Royal British Legion ensures that that duty is fulfilled. From poppy appeals to war memorials and remembrance events, it safeguards our promise that these sacrifices will not be forgotten.
Yet there is more we can do. It is imperative that we strengthen the armed forces covenant, to ensure that all devolved Governments of the United Kingdom are united in support. Public bodies must maintain comprehensive records of those who have served, and their families, to adequately address their needs. Military compensation should rightly be exempt from means-testing for welfare benefits. We need a UK-wide protocol to ensure that veterans have proper access to public services, and that their children receive appropriate special needs and disability support. Additionally, all obstacles to non-UK service personnel staying in the UK should be removed, including by waiving fees for indefinite leave to remain and minimum income requirements. These things should be entitlements, not merely goals. We stand with the Royal British Legion in striving for this.
I thank the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for securing the debate, and pay tribute to the RBL volunteers and staff across the country: they offer help and support wherever and whenever it is needed, including in my South West Norfolk constituency. Every year we see them in our supermarkets and on our streets, selling millions of poppies not only to raise money but also to provide an opportunity for us all to come together and pay tribute to those who fought for our freedoms and in many cases made the ultimate sacrifice.
I was very proud last October to join the collection in my local supermarket, and I look forward to doing so again later this year. What struck me last year was how many people were coming up and speaking to me and the team about their family member, their friend or their neighbour. They wanted to talk about their service and in many cases their loss, and the RBL gave them that opportunity. I have taken part in numerous charity collections in the past, but never have I experienced so many people not only give money but linger and want to talk and engage. It was a wonderful experience not only talking about loss and grief but very much talking about pride. I encourage anyone who has not done so to take part in an RBL collection. It is a wonderful experience.
The Thetford branch of the RBL in my constituency was one of the first in the whole of the UK to be constituted, back in 1921, and as Mayor of Thetford in 2016 I was very proud to oversee the rededication of the standards and support other local RBL activities. Sadly, like so many organisations, our local RBL in Thetford has fallen on tougher times, and has a limited number of volunteers, but the support is as crucial now as it ever was. I look forward to continuing to support the RBL in my new role as a Member of Parliament. That is necessary because in South West Norfolk, as in other constituencies, we have many military families, including those based at RAF Marham and RAF Feltwell, but also nearby at Honington, Mildenhall and Lakenheath. I look forward to supporting the RBL in the years to come so that it can continue its crucial work.
I commend the hon. Member for Hinckley and Bosworth (Dr Evans) for his commitment to our veterans and the armed forces. It is a real pleasure to see the Minister in his place: the hon. and gallant Member is well known for his service in uniform, but also for his commitment to veterans. We thank him for that and look forward to hearing his contribution later.
The Royal British Legion in Northern Ireland may be small, given its population of 1.9 million, but the heart of the veterans and the fundraisers is massive. That is why the small membership in Northern Ireland raises more than its share of the funds raised in the United Kingdom by the British Legion. Some £40 million was raised and Northern Ireland raised £1.3 million, so in proportion to our size we give, by a large percentage, more to the British Army, the Navy and the Royal Air Force through the British Legion and through the poppy appeal than most other areas of the United Kingdom.
The Royal British Legion describes itself as being
“at the heart of a national network looking after our Armed Forces community.”
It provides recovery and rehabilitation services, and expert advice and guidance, to service personnel and their families, as well as campaigning
“to improve the lives of everyone in the Armed Forces community and make sure their voice is heard.”
I should have declared an interest: I am a member of the Royal British Legion Millisle branch, and I served in the Ulster Defence Regiment and the Royal Artillery for some 14.5 years as a part-time member. The Royal British Legion clubs in Comber, Newtownards, Ballywalter and Millisle are greatly used by society and community groups and residents associations to carry out training and host events. The legion is a place of solace and of understanding, and a place where people can be signposted to help and support.
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In 1971, the Queen declared that the organisation would be granted royal status and become the Royal British Legion, and the charity now has 180,000 members and 110,000 volunteers. In the past year alone, the RBL has awarded over £18 million-worth of grants, helping thousands of veterans and families through the cost of living crisis. It has provided expert financial guidance, legal representation and essential aid during hardship, securing £39 million in war pension awards.
Beyond financial support, the RBL is a lifeline for wellbeing. The Battle Back Centre in Shropshire has empowered hundreds of veterans through recovery programmes, and its six homes, including specialist dementia services, ensure dignity and comfort for those who have served. Community is at the heart of the RBL’s mission. Whether it is through independent living services, telephone buddies for the lonely or the 96 global branches that support service personnel worldwide, the RBL is always there.
The RBL’s unwavering commitment reminds us that we owe our veterans more than gratitude; we owe them action. Possibly the greatest action that the RBL facilitates is that of a nation remembering. Remembrance is the active process of keeping the past alive in our present. It is so important, now more than ever, that we continue to educate the next generation about the first and second world wars, and the incredible sacrifices made by so many to ensure our freedoms today. Why? As the last surviving veterans of the second world war become fewer and fewer—only a few weeks ago the last surviving battle of Britain pilot, John “Paddy” Hemingway, passed away—we must not let that knowledge of the impacts of war fade away. Future generations must be reminded; as the famous quote says, “Lest we forget.”
In summing up the contributions of my local RBL branch, I will quote Lloyd Bagshaw himself:
“The fundamental keystone to the foundation of these success falls at the feet of the small cohort of passionate volunteers that assist the Branch in all its activities; primarily during the Poppy Appeal period each year. Many of these volunteer fund raisers are not even Legion Members, they merely have the desire and wish to support the appeal. Without such support and enthusiasm from the community, the Branch and indeed the Legion as an organisation, could not survive. The breadth of my gratitude and sincere thanks to these men and women have no limit.”
Lloyd asked me to single out one particular member of the branch, Mr Ian Walker, who he described as having:
“a passion and commitment to the branch that goes above and beyond.”
Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to do exactly that.
Now, it is said that
“A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions”—
and none more so than the current chairman of Hinckley branch, Lloyd Bagshaw. Other members of the branch tell me that
“typically, of Lloyd, he has omitted, what we all consider to be, a primary nomination—himself."
Several years ago, the branch was facing an uncertain future. Membership had dwindled, activities were scarce and survival was in doubt. Seven years ago, Lloyd joined and saw not the challenges but potential, and without hesitation he took action. With more than 40 years of service in the Royal British Legion, Lloyd was elected chairman unopposed—a testament to the trust placed in him. From day one, he worked tirelessly to restore connections, rebuild relationships and revitalise the branch. His efforts strengthened ties with the Royal Naval Association, St Mary’s church and the local council, creating a support network that transformed the organisation.
Today, the branch is thriving. Events are planned, awareness is high and the community presence is firmly established—all thanks to Lloyd’s leadership. His dedication even uncovered a forgotten milestone, the branch’s centenary, in 2023. Most telling of all, membership has more than doubled under his stewardship, now proudly standing at 87. In the words of one branch member,
“Simply put, we are only here today due to his hard work, selflessness, commitment and enthusiasm.”
It is with a bit of sadness that I say that the Royal British Legion hall in Bangor, which is now a city, is set to close due to financial pressures. Will the Government look into how they could help Royal British Legion halls in future?
It is essential that the Royal British Legion continues to operate in communities throughout this United Kingdom, and to do so it needs more than Government thanks: it needs support. The Royal British Legion issued in a statement in Belfast saying that it is under immense pressure to help veterans with their mental health. It cited the statistic that over the past three years the legion has seen a 44% increase in veterans presenting with complex and mental health needs. I know for a fact that that is a real and valid concern.
Although we have few world war veterans—in the Greyabbey branch that I was in, they are all away now; there was only me left, and I have transferred to the Millisle branch—we have veterans from the Falklands, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and Northern Ireland, after a 30-year terrorist campaign. They all deserve our thanks and our respect. More importantly, all are deserving of our support, which must begin with an enhancement of help from the Government, as we acknowledge the proven toll of service on mental health. It is no longer a taboo subject, and if we are happy to talk about it, it follows that we are happy to act on it. I know that when the Minister responds, none of us here will be found wanting. I congratulate him.