At its Second Reading of the new Armed Forces Bill on 15th October 2015, the House of Commons learned that the Scottish National Party would like to introduce provision into the Bill at Committee stage to provide a statutory footing for a British Armed Forces Federation.

Confirming that his party would support the Bill as it made its way through Committee, Brendan O'Hara MP (Argyll and Bute), Shadow SNP Westminster Group Leader (Defence) told the House that the SNP was the only party to make a manifesto commitment at the 2015 General Election to providing a statutory footing for a British Armed Forces Federation.

The Liberal Democrat party have previously supported such provision and are understood still to be in favour, but did not include it as a manifesto commitment in the 2015 General Election. Support in other parties has been much patchier, although support has been expressed at different times by individual politicians of the Labour Party, Conservative Party, DUP and Plaid Cymru.

Archived article republished 2019