Inverclyde Council is one of several Scottish local authorities which have agreed to award the Freedom of their area to the Royal Regiment of Scotland in this, its 20th year.

After the Glasgow controversy it was pleasant to learn from the Greenock Telegraph that the Council have now confirmed the date and arrangements for the Regiment's Freedom Ceremony.

We hope everyone has a great day when it happens.

The Freedom will be the first conferred by Inverclyde on any individual or group since the Council was formed in 1996. In contrast to the political divergence in Glasgow, it's worth noting that the Inverclyde decision to award the Freedom was agreed unanimously one year ago.

BAFF is non-politically-partisan, but we also note that the good councillors of Inverclyde comprise 9 Labour (minority administration), 6 SNP, 5 Independent and 2 Conservative.

So it can be done.

The armed forces are set to receive an above-inflation pay award, with an announcement expected in the coming days.

The award, for the current financial year 2026-27, will be backdated to 1st April.

Traditionally recommendations by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) would be accepted by the Government in time to be implemented on 1st April. This gradually slipped over the years but this time round there was an aspiration for a more timely award. Delay in issuing the award is not ideal, but has at times been claimed to allow a more generous award when it came.

This year's pay recommendations will cover the whole of the Armed Forces including senior officers of two-star rank and above, who had historically had their pay recommended by the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB).

Update 30.05.26 - The special reduced £5 subscription has been agreed and will be rolled out shortly. It will only be on offer for a short period during the transition to an association.

As members know we are in the process of reorganising BAFF with a view to giving up its company registration, at least for the time being. The driver for this is that the future annual costs for a commercial company secretary and registered office have gone up to £700/year, which is unsustainable for us at present.

The reorganised association will be membership based like the present federation, and have the same aims. We are very aware of legal aspects and the need to avoid liabilities. Existing subscriptions will automatically transfer to the new BAFF, but every member has the right to cancel their membership if they prefer; this can be done on the website or by email request.

The former company will not leave a cash surplus, but arrangements are in hand for final costs of the company liquidation to be paid when the time comes. The main cost thereafter will be for the website, which will continue. The new association will start with a 'clean sheet' financially, but with existing members.

We'll continue to keep you informed while work on the reorg continues.

A report will follow on a proposal for a temporary reduction in the annual subscription from £7.50 to £5 until the reorg process

The Chair of the Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan has granted Core Participant status to five individuals "who held command roles or senior positions within UK Special Forces between mid-2010 and mid-2013."

Lord Justice Haddon-Cave's decision was announced on the Inquiry website on 20 May.

Under the inquiry rules, Core Participant ("CP") status is only granted with consent of the individual, and in this case was applied for by those concerned.

The Ministry of Defence had held CP status from the outset, covering separate legal teams representing the MOD's corporate interest, and the interests of former and current MOD personnel who were witnesses. Applications in 2024 and 2025 for the witnesses to be covered by separate CP status were not successful, but the matter was kept under review and the view has been taken that the situation has now changed.

CP status in an inquiry means that the Chair considers the person or organisation concerned to have a sufficiently direct, important, or potentially criticised role in the matters under investigation.

A CP may receive disclosure of relevant evidence before hearings, subject to national-security restrictions and any restriction orders under the legislation.

In the Afghanistan Inquiry, that could potentially include:

• witness statements,
• operational documents,
• summaries of CLOSED evidence*,
• expert reports,
• and proposed lines of inquiry.

* CLOSED and OPEN documents, inquiry sessions, etc are so indicated for emphasis of their status. Because this Inquiry concerns UK Special Forces and classified operations, disclosure

Today, 22nd May 2026, is the fifteenth anniversary of the official end of Operation Telic, the formal name for UK operations in Iraq that began with the 2003 invasion and subsequent removal of the dictator.

UK combat forces, primarily based in the southern city of Basra, had withdrawn from Iraq in July 2009, but, since then, at the request of the Iraqi Government, the Royal Navy had continued to train the Iraqi Navy to defend its territorial waters and offshore oil infrastructure. That mission ended in 2011 but UK defence engagement with Iraq continues to this day.

We remember the 179 British personnel who lost their lives. We honour all who served on Operation Telic and their families. And we think of those who returned injured in body or mind, in some cases catastrophically so.

Some veterans have very mixed memories combining justified pride with pain and anger.

Every BAFF member is either a serving or a former member of the UK Armed Forces.

When the British Armed Forces Federation (BAFF) was formed in 2006, several of the its founding members were veterans of the early stages of Op Telic. Some were Regulars and some were members of the Territorial Army, the predecessor of today's Army reserve.

As time went on, some BAFF members returned to Iraq on further Op Telic rotations. Others returned as civilian contractors or in some other capacity.

Fifteen years later, consequences of the war continue, not

We thought it might assist Glasgow City Council members if they were to see an example of a previous parade in which the Freedom of a council area was formally conferred on the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Here's a high-quality video of the Freedom Ceremony on 12th October, 2015 conferring on the Regiment the Freedom of the Highlands:

[Thanks to YouTube channel The Big Drum, includes timings and music details]

The Prime Minister said in Parliament today that Glasgow City Council should 'reconsider' its controversial decision last week to reject a motion to grant the Freedom of the City to the Royal Regiment of Scotland in this, its 20th anniversary year.

In Prime Minister's Questions today, Glasgow North East MP Maureen Burke described the rejection as "a shameful snub to our servicemen and women, and a decision that has left many Glaswegians feeling ashamed and embarrassed".

The MP referred to the regiment's "20 years of duty, courage and, for 23 of its soldiers, the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country." More than 20 (out of 32) other Scottish councils had, she said, already recognised the regiment’s service by granting it the freedom of their area.

Kier Starmer said in reply that he joined the MP

"... in paying tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. I have had the privilege of meeting Scots serving in our armed forces across the world. They deserve our deepest gratitude. I cannot understand how the SNP and Greens have arrived at this decision, particularly when Glaswegians have contributed so much to the Royal Regiment. It is not too late to do the right thing, and I urge them to reconsider."

BAFF agrees with that call.

One of the reasons cited by SNP Councillors for rejecting the motion being that the Lord Provost and the Council's Armed Forces and Veterans

Congratulations to the whole team involved in getting medical assistance and supplies to the remote British Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha to help a British national with suspected hantavirus.

The UK Health Security Agency had confirmed on Friday that a British national had disembarked from the cruise ship MV Hondius to the South Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha, where they live, with a suspected case of hantavirus.

Six paratroopers, a Royal Air Force (RAF) consultant doctor and an army nurse from 16 Air Assault Brigade were parachuted to the island, followed by oxygen and medical supplies.

An RAF A400M transport aircraft made the 9-10 hour 4,200 mile flight from RAF Brize Norton to Ascension Island, supported by an RAF Voyager tanker aircraft. This was followed by a 2000-mile flight to Tristan da Cunha.

One of several unusual features of the mission is that both the doctor and nurse reportedly made a tandem jump attached to a parachutist, an activity more usually associated with sponsored charity jumps and 'bucket lists'.

At one time there would have been no difficulty in sourcing current parachute-trained medical personnel. All the same, tandem jumping is an interesting capability for which there could be other occasions in emergency.

As well as providing vital humanitarian support this well-conducted operation was a timely reminder of a capability rapidly to reinforce British overseas territory.

An essential part of 'successor BAFF', which will take the form of an Unincorporated Association, is a new Constitution.

A draft of the new Constitution is now available for logged-in users (including for the time being lapsed members and BAFF Military Supporters) to see and comment.

The new Constitution will effectively replace the Memorandum of Association of the current BAFF (2006) Ltd, which is available for download HERE,

Members will see that certain sections of the old Constitution have been carried over into the new one.

The reasons for this are firstly, that in drawing up the Constitution the BAFF Steering Group took advice from Senior Counsel as to how to ensure that the organisation's representation of its members serving in the armed forces would be legal. At the time there had been dark accusations from some vested interests, before seeing our porposals, that representation would amount to 'mutiny',

Secondly, having obtained senior counsel's and solicitor's advice, the Constitution was drawn up online in consultation with 50 members of the 'Army Rumour Service' website, who were all currently serving or former members of the UK armed forces. We think it's important not to lose that work if BAFF is to continue at any level.

This note is public. Login is required to see and, if desired, comment on the current draft which will be posted by Doug Young. 

With a significant procedural motion concerning the NI Troubles Bill expected on Monday (27 April), the picture is supposedly complicated by the expected absence of the Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who is believed to be visiting troops engaged in defensive missions against Iran in the Gulf.

His absence from a key Commons moment raises questions in some minds about:

• Ministerial ownership of the Bill
• The internal balance being struck within government
• The extent to which veterans’ concerns are shaping the final legislation

Carns became Minister for Veterans and People at the Ministry of Defence on 9 July 2024, shortly after being elected as the Labour MP for Birmingham Selly Oak in the 2024 General Election, and was appointed Minister for the Armed Forces in September 2025.

As an MoD minister, Carns would not in any event be expected to lead for the Government in Commons proceedings on a Northern Ireland Office Bill, though his presence on the front bench might have carried some political weight given his role as the Government’s principal veterans-facing minister.

Al Carns was alleged to have 'been on resignation watch' for much of last year over the decision to replace the 2023 legislation. He is also said to have been closely involved in the drafting of the new protections which have yet to be published. According to The Times,

Many veterans believe he remains ambivalent about the overall plans and has stopped short of

The saga of Northern Ireland Troubles legislation continues in Parliament on Monday (27 April), following a statement by the NI Secretary Hilary Benn last week.

Mr Benn's written statement confirmed that the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill remains central to the Government’s approach, describing it as an effort to finally address a long-standing failure to deal with the past. Nearly three decades after the Good Friday Agreement, successive attempts'in London and in Belfast' had not delivered a system capable of commanding confidence across victims, families and former security force personnel.

The Bill would enable information sharing by the Irish Government with the Legacies Commission.

The statement went on to say that '...unlike the false promise of the 2023 Legacy Act, the Troubles Bill does not offer immunity including for those who committed heinous acts of terrorism, and will be compliant with our Human Rights obligations, has been welcomed by all the main Northern Ireland political parties and indeed by many Operation Banner veterans.'

Crucially the Bill does not provide immunity for Troubles-related offences, in contrast to the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023. The 2023 Act, passed under the Sunak government, was to establish an Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) and introduce a controversial conditional immunity scheme for Troubles-related offences

Mr Benn's statement does not introduce new policy so much as confirming the Government's settled direction for this legislation:

• The 2023 Act is effectively being

A recent BAFF blog post mentioned that the first phase of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 is due to come into force in May 2026.

There was nothing specifically about service accommodation in the Renters' Rights Bill as first introduced by the Labour Government - or in its predecessor Bill introduced under the Conservative Government but never completed its stages before the General Election in 2024.

Sarah Gibson MP (Lib Dem, Chippenham) found cross-party support for a clause to be added to the Bill to require an annual assessment of

(a) the extent to which service family accommodation in England meets the relevant standards during that year, and 

(b)the work to maintain and improve the standard of service family accommodation in England that is undertaken during that year and planned for subsequent years.

The first report will cover the year 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027.

This provision only covers England, but the Act also includes powers for Scottish and Welsh Ministers to make complementary provisions for their jurisdictions.

While elections are imminent in both Scotland and Wales, we trust that the necessary regulations will be adopted as soon as possible, so that assessment of service accommodation in both nations can proceed on a similar timetable to England's.

• Part 3 Renters' Rights Act 2025 - Decent Homes Standard
• The Renters' Rights Bill - Sarah Gibson MP

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 is intended to implement Labour Party manifesto commitments to 'overhaul the regulation of our country’s insecure and unjust private rented sector'. The Act only applies to England, and will be brought into force in three phases, with the first phase expected to come into force on 1 May 2026.

While the Act is intended to 'provide tangible benefits for responsible landlords' by providing simpler regulation, as its title implies the primary intention is to protect tenants.

The excellent 'Landlords' Toolkit' page on the Army Families Federation website lists the major changes under the Act, and also explains that

The Renters’ Rights Act represents a significant step forward in improving the private rented sector in England. It aims to create a fairer, more secure system for everyone who relies on private renting. The Act is designed to strengthen protections, increase transparency, and support both tenants and landlords in maintaining safe, stable homes.

However, these changes may have unintended consequences for Army families who need to let out their home when they are assigned elsewhere, especially those who have used Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) to purchase their property. With the introduction of a 12‑month notice period for regaining possession of a rental property, it may become more difficult for families to ensure their home is available when they need to return at the end of an assignment.

AFF has raised concerns to the MOD Policy Team

Work continues on reorganising BAFF to change its structure from a registered Company Limited by Guarantee to an ordinary unincorporated association.

The driver for the change is simply cost, specifically the next year's fee quoted by the accountants who act as company secretaries and provide the registered office.

The website will continue, as will volunteers' work on cases and campaigns.

Restructuring requires a formal decision to liquidate the Company. Only members with a current subscription as of today have a formal right to participate in that decision, but all registered BAFF Military Supporters are welcome to contribute their views and to ask questions.

More updates will follow.

Following and evidence session with her on Wednesday (26 Mar), the House of Commons Defence Committee has recommended the Defence Secretary to proceed with the appointment of his preferred candidate for Armed Forces Commissioner, retired RAF Air Commodore Polly Miller-Perkins.

Ms Miller-Perkins is expected to take up the role on an interim basis for one year from April 2026, as a direct appointment without competition. A previous full and open recruitment process was unsuccessful in appointing a candidate. The Ministry of Defence has announced its intention to re-run that process shortly.

The MOD announcement also says that

Former RAF Air Commodore Polly Perkins served for over 30 years in the Royal Air Force, specialising in logistics and holding senior leadership roles including Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff, British Forces Cyprus. She deployed on operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan and worked with NATO partners to improve multinational logistics. She holds an MA in Defence Studies from King’s College London and was awarded a CBE for her service.

Tan Dhesi MP the Defence Committee chair rightly said that 'The success of the Armed Forces Commissioner depends on being visibly independent', but it seems in principle welcome that Ms Miller-Perkins has substantial experience of the armed forces.

The person-spec for the job did not require applicants to have served in the armed forces, but the 'desirable criteria' included 'Knowledge of the Armed Forces operating model, and the complaints procedures.'

The relevant legislation is

This year's Armed Forces Day national event will be hosted by Rushmoor Borough Council at Aldershot and Farnborough on Saturday, 27th June 2026, with other events taking place across the UK on or around the same date.

When Armed Forces Day was started by the then Labour government one view was that armed forces personnel were hardly honoured by giving them extra work at the weekend.

In practice, events have tended to involve a wide community effort, with considerable local authority input, and - without downplaying the preparation and time involved - forces personnel themselves being as much as possible the 'stars' rather than the 'general dogsbodies'.

We certainly wouldn't argue with the need to improve and reinforce engagement between the armed forces and the community.

Armed Forces Day in the UK started 20 years ago as 'Veterans' Day'. It was rebranded as Armed Forces Day in 2009 to better recognise all branches of the military, including serving regular and reserve personnel, veterans, and cadets. The main national event is held annually on the last Saturday in June; last year's was hosted by Ards and North Down Borough Council at Newtownards Airfield.

Armed Forces Day isn't the same one-size-fits-all event across the United Kingdom. The lead organiser can be the Council, the Legion, or a community organisation. For Armed Forces Day 2026 events in your area, visit this link:

• Armed Forces Day - Find Events

Events will continue to

An MOD written parliamentary answer to James Cartlidge MP (Cons, Shadow Secretary of State for Defence) reveals that in just under 20 months, nearly sixty thousand applications to join the armed forces were rejected on medical grounds.

The answer also revealed striking disparities amongst the figures for the respective services -

Rejections per service

• Army: 45,680 rejected on medical grounds
• RAF:   12,310
• Navy:    1,020

Although not specifically stated, these figures are for regular forces. Applying them to the approximate current size of each regular force reveals a huge variation in the proportion per service of applicants rejected on medical grounds -

Rejections compared with approx service size

• Army ∼ 62% rejections as %age of current force
• RAF   ∼ 41% rejections as %age of current force
• RN/RM ∼3% rejections as %age of current force

Another way to view these figures is that the Army rejected on medical grounds around 6 applicants for every 10 serving soldiers; the RAF rejected around 4 applicants per 10 serving aviators, and the RN/RM rejected less than one applicant per 10 serving sailors or marines.

Comparing the medical rejection figures with annual targets, however, shows the Army and the RAF rejecting about the same percentage on medical grounds, with the RN/RM rjecting far fewer -

Medical rejections compared with target recruitment intake

• Army - around 2.7 rejections per target recruit
• RAF - around 2.6 rejections per target