The sacrifices made by Ipswich’s heroes will always be remembered.
Every year on Armistice Day, we unite to honour the valiant service and sacrifice made by our armed forces during that horrific conflict and all subsequent conflicts. Together, we pay tribute to the heroes—including the incredibly courageous men and women of Ipswich—who have protected our nation and our allies over the years. Over 10,000 Ipswich men fought in the First World War, with 1,481 giving the ultimate sacrifice.
More than 600 Ipswich residents died during World War Two. We also pay tribute to the courageous Ipswich military members who lost their lives in the years that followed. We honour Aaron James McClure, who was only 19 when he passed away in Northern Helmand Province in August 2007. He went to Westbourne High and Springfield Primary. At the age of 14, he joined the cadets because he loved sports. We honour Kenneth Walter Banyard, who passed away in November 1956 at the age of 25 in Nicosia, Cyprus. We honour Brian Swinbanks, who passed away in April 1951 at the age of 23 from injuries he received during the Battle of Imjin River in Seoul, Korea.
This Sunday, I will pay my respects at the Cenotaph in Christchurch Park for the annual Remembrance Sunday service. On Armistice Day itself, I will join kids from nearby schools at the Fields of Honour in the Old Cemetery to honour the service of all those who have protected our way of life and defended our freedoms. As we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, we must also honour their legacy by ensuring that those who serve and have served are treated with the dignity, justice, respect, and support they deserve. For this reason, our government is committed to strengthening and renewing our nation’s contract with our Armed Forces Community.
Our government unveiled the Defence Housing Strategy on Monday. The £9 billion proposal, which will provide homes suitable for our personnel and allow Britain to build on surplus Defence land, represents the largest renewal of Armed personnel family housing in more than 50 years. The state of defence housing is appalling. Less than one in five service employees expressed satisfaction with house upkeep and repairs in 2023, while satisfaction with Service Family Accommodation reached its lowest point ever. Service life satisfaction dropped from 60% in 2010 to 40% in 2024, bringing military morale to all-time lows.
By putting an end to the scandal of unfit forces housing, this plan would provide houses that our military families, who make tremendous sacrifices every day to keep us secure, can be proud of. 14,000 military residences will be rebuilt or significantly renovated, and nine out of ten military residences—more than 40,000 overall and almost 5,000 in the East of England—will be updated to new, higher standards. In order to better manage military housing while keeping it in the hands of the public, our government is adopting a “Forces First” strategy, which is supported by a new, dedicated Defence Housing Service. This approach prioritises the voices of military families and offers new opportunities for military personnel and veterans to become homeowners.
Additionally, we are starting a historic housebuilding initiative on surplus defence land, which might result in the construction of over 100,000 new dwellings for both military and civilian people. In order to guarantee that veterans receive the assistance they require, our government’s VALOUR program, which was unveiled earlier this year, will enhance the coordination of services at the national, regional, and local levels. We honour and pay respect to those who make great sacrifices for our nation on Remembrance Sunday, but we also need to provide the year-round support that our armed forces and their families deserve.
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