Photo - Alan Mak MP with General Lord Richards
Former Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the Armed Forces, and Emsworth resident, General Lord Richards, has stressed the important role that local armed forces personnel perform. Speaking at a meeting of the Havant Conservative Association Supper Club, Lord Richards commended the bravery of local servicemen and women and praised the strength of recruitment in the Havant area following a jobs fair organised by local MP Alan Mak.
Lord Richards warned that, in an uncertain world, the duties undertaken by our armed forces will become ever-more paramount. He pointed to threats such as extremist terrorism, cyber-attacks and piracy as evidence that we cannot afford to be complacent.
Richards served in the Far East, Germany and Northern Ireland with the Royal Artillery before commanding forces in East Timor and most notably Sierra Leone, where his action without official sanctioning protected Freetown from rebel attacks during the Sierra Leone Civil War. Richards has also served with NATO as a major general, and he commanded International Security Assistance Force elements in Southern Afghanistan as a lieutenant general between 2006 and 2008.
Richards became Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces of the British Army in 2008 and held this role until 2009 when he was appointed Chief of the General Staff, the head of the British Army. He was appointed as Chief of the Defence Staff the following year. He was succeeded by General Sir Nicholas Houghton on 18 July 2013.
In 2014, Richards was created a Life Peer and sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher.
The Emsworth-based Lord Richards was joined at the dinner at Brookfield Hotel by Alan Mak, MP for Havant. Mak was also keen to show his support for the country’s brave personnel, and stressed the importance of Havant’s history as a hub of the Royal Navy in particular.
The Havant MP described his recent experiences with the Royal Marines on an extreme training exercise in Norway’s Arctic Circle. Mak undertook an intense training exercise that included crash courses in outdoor survival and reconnaissance.
Speaking after the dinner, General Lord Richards said: “I enjoyed speaking about the defence and foreign policy challenges and opportunities Britain faces in the world – and the role played by our armed forces in tackling threats and protecting our national interest.”
The former Chief of the Defence Staff added: “Havant can boast an excellent record of military service, and it is great to see Alan really support our Armed Forces as the local MP.”
Alan Mak said: “General Lord Richards gave an impressive and insightful talk about British defence and foreign policy, and we are all proud to have such a distinguished neighbour and constituent amongst us. With the rise of ISIS, aggression from Russia, and uncertainty across the Arab world, Lord Richards’s remarks were extremely timely. As a hugely distinguished former head of the armed forces, he provided a fantastic insight into the operational and strategic challenges we face on a national and international level.”
Mak added: “We have a strong record of service in Havant, and a proud naval tradition, so it is important that we recognise the vital role played by our local servicemen and women. It is their bravery, work-ethic and sacrifice that has really been impressed upon me during my year-long Royal Navy work experience.”
Havant Conservative Association Chairman, Mike Fairhurst, added: “It was great to see Alan come along to the HCA Supper Club at the Brookfield Hotel in Emsworth. It was fascinating listening to General Lord Richards, former Chief of the Defence Staff and Emsworth resident, talking about the uncertain world that we now live in.”
Fairhurst added: “It is important that people get to meet their MP socially as well as professionally and our supper club is ideal for that. We aim to have a relaxed evening with a stimulating talk and people don't have to be members of the Conservative party to attend. Strangely for a Service area we haven't had too many ex senior officers - and you don't get more senior than Chief of the Defence Staff!"