Keir Starmer has hailed Labour as the party of "national security" as he was flanked by military veterans standing for the party at the General Election.
The decorated heroes - with over 100 years of service among them - stood on stage with the Labour leader as he vowed to make the country's safety the number one priority if he wins the keys to No10.
In a speech at the Fusiliers Museum in Bury, Mr Starmer made clear his commitment to the Trident nuclear deterrent system was "absolute" and the "foundation of any plan to keep Britain safe". Ahead of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on Thursday he remembered the bravery and courage of soldiers that served.
But he warned the world is "perhaps more dangerous and volatile than any time since then" as he said the "post-war era is over" and a new "age of insecurity" has begun with conflicts across the globe.
He also insisted the whole of the Shadow Cabinet was behind him - despite senior members voting against renewing the Trident weapons system in 2016. Mr Starmer said: "I lead this party. I have changed this party. If we are privileged to come in to serve, I will be the prime minister of the United Kingdom and I've made my commitment to this absolutely clear and I've got my whole cabinet, shadow cabinet, behind me."
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But Labour's Deputy leader Angela Rayner, who voted against the renewal of Trident in 2016, said she hadn't changed her mind on the deterrent. She told the BBC: "I haven't changed my mind.
"The vote that we had some years ago mentioned nothing about multilateral disarmament and what I feel is really important for the long term is that globally we should be looking at disarmament of nuclear weapons but that has to be done in combination with other countries."
Mr Starmer appeared onstage with Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey and 10 of the 14 former armed forces personnel who will be donning the red rosette next month and hoping to become Labour MPs as the country goes to the polls. They included former Royal Marine, Colonel Alistair Carns, who could become one of the most senior ex-servicemen in the Commons.
Keir Starmer with former Army intelligence officer Louise Jones (Getty Images)His military career - spanning 24 years in conflict zones across the globe - has been recognised with an OBE in 2022 and Military Cross for "distinguished service" in Afghanistan between October 2010 and March 2011. He told The Mirror he was standing out of a "duty to serve", adding: "We'd all agree it's a duty to serve the people of this great nation. We've got 14 fantastic military candidates - that's over a 100 years of experience - coming to support the Labour Party ".
His military career ended just last week as he was selected to run for Labour in the safe Birmingham seat of Selly Oak. He said there was an "opportunity for Labour to make real change to this country".
Mike Tapp, who is standing in Dover, left the military around 10 years ago and has since worked at the National Crime Agency and Ministry of Defence. He said his "whole life has been service", adding: "I think it goes for all of us. That is what's in our blood."
Speaking to reporters, he added: "I would not have stood under the last administration, it's that clear. But under the current administration I'm really confident as a veteran that we can deliver for the country."
Former Army intelligence officer Louise Jones, who was wearing a campaign medal for the six months she served in Afghanistan over the winter of 2017 and 2018, also introduced Mr Starmer and his Shadow Defence Secretary on stage.
Keir Starmer joined on stage with the military veterans hoping to become Labour MPs (Getty Images)She is fighting to win North East Derbyshire - a seat with a 12,000 Tory majority - at the General Election. Asked why she was standing for Parliament, Ms Jones, who left the military in 2020, told The Mirror: "I was looking around and seeing first hand the really damaging cuts we were seeing under the Conservative government.
"Really short-sighted, all brushed in under the guise of trying to save money but really it's costing more in the long-term. We're left with real big gaps in our capability. I'm not the kind of person to sit around and I knew I wanted to get involved."
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She also hit out at the "postcode lottery" facing veterans, saying it was "shocking" some people who had served their country were resorting to foodbanks.
Paul Foster, who served in the British Army for 15 years until 2013, including two six month tours of Kosovo, said he was hopeful of a Labour victory next. But he insisted he was "not over-confident", adding: "We've got to work for every single vote. We are out three times a day every day talking to our electors."
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