Lord Walney has relaunched his campaign for the contribution of submariners on nuclear deterrent patrols to be honoured with a special service medal.
Operation Relentless – the UK’s commitment to have at least one submarine armed with nuclear weapons on patrol under the ocean at all times – has been carried out without a single break for more than 50 years.
But the secret and continuous nature of the mission has left the thousands of submariners undertaking deterrent patrols without the reward of a service medal which would usually be granted to members of the armed forces for participating in a significant military campaign.
When he was MP for Barrow and Furness under his given name of John Woodcock, the Barrow-based peer called for the 50th anniversary of Operation Relentless in April 2019 to be marked with a medal for retired and serving submariners who have contributed to deterrent patrols.
His motion in the House of Commons called for the government to task its special Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals to introduce the medal. It won the backing of former defence secretaries but the campaign had to be abandoned without success at the general election when uncompleted parliamentary business falls and the then Mr Woodcock stood down as an MP.
But the peer is using his new position in the House of Lords to renew pressure on the government. He has tabled an official question to the defence secretary this week asking for the committee to begin work on establishing the medal.
Lord Walney said: “I am pleased to be able to mark Remembrance week this year by renewing our call for the dedication of the Royal Navy’s submariners to keeping the nation safe from nuclear attack to be properly recognised. The Silent Service shoulders so much for the nation and typically does so out of the spotlight with little expectation of thanks and praise. The creation of an Operation Relentless service medal is one way in which the devotion and sacrifice of all those who have contributed to it could be distinctly honoured.
“The campaign temporarily ran aground with the general election last year but I am delighted to be able to take it up again from the House of Lords. I hope the government says yes immediately but if not I will be going to the Submariners’ Association and others to try to develop a plan to keep the pressure up for this to happen.”
Lord Walney is currently in London and has asked a local councillor to lay a wreath on his behalf at Barrow cenotaph this weekend, having abandoned his travel plans in light of the new covid restrictions.
But he has tabled a question asking the government how it will support armed service charities whose ability to fundraise is being severely curtailed during the pandemic.
The father of three said: “It will be sad not to be able to be back for Remembrance Sunday this year but we decided against having the whole family travel back for the weekend given the new restrictions, I hope people will understand. Instead, I am pressing the government to say what more it will do in this crisis to support the vital work done by the Royal British Legion and several other veterans charities who are losing many thousands of pounds because they can’t get round the crowds rattling tins.
“So many veterans rely on the diverse forms of support provided by our service charities, they must not be abandoned as a side effect of this dreadful pandemic.”
