It was a real honour to inspect the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment this morning at the ceremony to grant them the Freedom of the Borough of South Ribble.

Rebuilding our military strength will not happen overnight. It will take sustained investment, clear priorities, and long-term commitment. But we must also be honest about how we got here. Years of austerity hollowed out our capabilities, and we must never allow that to happen again.

This week, I’ve been actively fulfilling my responsibilities as Co-Chair of the Armed Forces All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), alongside my colleague Alex Ballinger MP.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the RBL for everything they do and to everyone in South Ribble who has served or are serving.

I experienced firsthand the challenges of substandard military accommodation.

I had the privilege of paying my respects at the civic remembrance parade in Leyland

Today I attended the opening of the House of Commons Garden of Remembrance by invitation of The Speaker.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Johnson Beharry VC and Sir Lindsay Hoyle.