In a parliamentary exchange on 18 November 2024, Steve Yemm, Labour MP for Mansfield, raised concerns about inadequate funding for reservists, which he said was leading to reduced training opportunities and unexpected salary shortfalls for many in his constituency.
Yemm warned that the lack of support was forcing highly skilled and dedicated reservists to leave for other careers.
Yemm stated:
“Due to a lack of funding, many reservists in my constituency are not getting the training days they need and are therefore not receiving the salary that they had anticipated. That means that many highly trained and committed reservists have no choice but to leave and join another career. Will the Minister outline what the Labour Government will do to support our reservists, including those who live in my constituency, all of whom are a vital part of our armed forces?”
Responding to Yemm, Al Carns, a recently appointed Defence Minister, acknowledged the significance of the issue and shared a personal connection to the topic, having recently joined the reserves himself.
Carns assured the House that a review of the reservist system would be conducted in the coming weeks. He explained: “As an individual who signed up in just the past two weeks to be a reserve, this matter is close to my heart. We are doing a review into reservists over the next couple of weeks, which will be linked to the strategic defence review, to find out how we can simplify the process and make it easier for people to join and serve the armed forces in a way that is befitting to them.”
Reservists, who play a critical role in supporting the UK’s armed forces, have been advocating for streamlined processes and improved financial and training support. The Government’s commitment to linking this review to the broader strategic defence review indicates that changes could be on the horizon, aiming to address these issues.
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Being a reservist is not a career.
who would want to join the army these days even as a reservist? With all the litigation surrounding ex-squaddies being taken to court 20-30 years later after being in theatres of war….
When terrorists are given immunity from prosecution.
Jack the comfort letters from Labour were a national disagree and an appalling act of appeasement. However, what do you expect from avowed Marxists….Quickly followed by the blue Marxist or the Tories as you would call them.
It is for many. Its not a part time hobby as some would wish it to be, its a job that can be either part time or full time or a mix of both. In 22 years reserve service I spent several on mobilisation, others on Full Time Reserve Service and in those years when I worked part time I rarely dropped below 90 days a year and often exceeded 120 days a year or more. No complaint about it, it was a choice that I was glad to make and I chose to pursue my civilian occupation as a librarian in a secondary, supporting, role. It wasn’t entirely selfish as I did jobs that needed doing from recruit training instructor, to my military trade, to attachments to regular units on exercises at home and abroad and supporting the work of the PSI’s. The army needed those things and I was happy to facilitate them as thousands of other reservists have. Those who go for UKSF reserve will find it quickly becomes a near full time occupation, but its also the same for many reservists who carry out specialist trades. All they (I ended my time a few years ago) require is to be paid, allocated places on professional trade and promotion courses and treated fairly. At the moment they’re not. Trade courses are difficult to get places on, promotion courses for sergeant and above almost non existent (in the infantry at least). Reservists are constantly asked to work without pay and often have to fight to get paid. They’re about the only people in the whole country who work without a proper pension and derided as being a hobby. Yet when the call comes for volunteers for operations or to support the regular service on exercises there is no shortage of volunteers.
Who would want to be a reservist….when you look at how the armed service personnel are treated these days. You go to a theatre of war and 20 or 30 years later you are harassed through the courts for alleged war crimes. The pay is low and the equipment substandard. Moreover, you have EDI initiatives that don’t favour the native population….you wonder why they have a recruitment crisis across the board. If that isn’t enough we get embroiled in wars that have simply nothing to do with the national interest…that drag on for years and then we end up leaving with our tail between our legs….The last justified war was the Falklands…which was (a) for the national interest, (b) was against a military junta that’s aim was to attack British nationals, and (c) allowed us to remember what a great national we used to be and that we could do the right thing and do it well. Those days are long gone now….So why would anyone want to join the reservists?
1: there are some very high profile cases of individuals being questioned over aledged war crimes. However, statistically these are very low and relate mostly to Northern Ireland. The abomination that was the Iraq war inquires was shown to be the farce that it was, although to late for those involved. Nevertheless these high profile scandals aren’t a massive issue for you’re average soldier.
2: Pay is low and agreed for regulars it is a turn off. But for Reservists its not so much an issue as they do this in addition to their primary job and as such financial award is unlikely to be a driving factor. Equipment wise we have some of the best available and anything that isn’t amazing is at least on par with the average. At least in terms of personal kit.
3: when you say “native” population i presume you mean white heterosexual males. Although, its irrelevant as A it is actually harder to join the military from abroad then as a “Native”, B no one is discriminated against on the basis of Sex, Race, Religion or Sexual preference.
4: So lets forget Op Granby when we stopped a murderous dictator from invading their neighbour, or Kosovo, Bosnia and Sierra Leone where we prevented multiple genocides and horrific war crimes and of course Afghanistan where we over through a blood thirsty religious cult and gave an opportunity to an entire country that previously they could only dream off. Just because we don’t get the results we wanted doesn’t mean it wasn’t justified or in our interests. We used to be a great nation because of our involvement and proactive ness on the world stage. If we hunker down on our little island and shut ourselves of from the world. Then all we will be is a insignificant damp island to the north west of Europe.
(1) How do you know what effect these prosecutions have had on recruitment…Who says it isn’t an issue for your average squaddie they have a arm left wing lawyer second guessing their actions in theatres of war. I might add one lawyer will now go to jail for lying.
(2) Equipment really….snatch vehicles or moving coffins anyone? Our CASD trident D5 dropping in the ocean? The debacle over the Ajex…need I go on…
(3) How about the recent events in the Royal Air Force over positive discrimination…potentially leading now to a major investigation and they also lost a race discrimination case against a native pilot.
(4) Kosovo, Bosnia and Sierra Leone…how are those countries working out these days…especially Sierra Leone. I also counter that with Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya….where do you think our country illegal migration issues stem from?
I would love to join the RNR but the nearest one is over one and a half hours a way, same with the RAF too, travelling down on a Wednesday night is hardly practical. There is a TA close by but this doesn’t suit me for a number of reasons.