Ex-Marine Says Only Labour Can Be Trusted On Defence

Colonel has given up successful forces career to stand as MP

- KIM SENGUPTA, DAVID MADDOX

A high-flying Royal Marines colonel who has given up his military career to run for parliament has insisted that "only Labour can be trusted on defence". Colonel Alistair Carns is one of 14 veterans standing for Labour at this general election, in a significant shift since Jeremy Corbyn was leader of the party in 2019.

Col Carns was due to be promoted to brigadier at the age of 44, making him among the youngest in Britain to achieve that rank, but is instead campaigning to be the MP for Birmingham Selly Oak.

The decorated military hero has spoken exclusively to The Independent about why he decided to go into politics. “We need leadership, and at the moment Keir Starmer, without a shadow of a doubt, is the person who can provide it,” he said. “Only a Labour government can be trusted to defend our country.

“One of the biggest points for me is Labour’s reinvestment in national security being at the centre of the manifesto, and the simple reason is that you can’t have a growing and secure economy without national security in these dangerous times. These [matters] are intrinsically linked, as is our foreign policy.”

Col Carns is running in a campaign that has seen Rishi Sunak criticised for leaving D-Day commemorations early at a time when the prime minister was trying to make defence spending and security a major issue for voters.