Today’s main defence news focuses on the Ministry of Defence’s plans to mitigate the impact of the Scottish Government’s changes to income tax for military personnel and the death of one of the youngest Spitfire pilots to fly in the Battle of Britain.
Military personnel in Scotland protected from income tax hike
The Press & Journal and The Scotsman both report on the government’s plans to protect around 8,000 military personnel in Scotland who would otherwise be left out of pocket by the Scottish Government’s income tax hikes.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
It is completely wrong for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces to be punished for serving in Scotland by unfair raids on their pay packets by the Scottish Government.”
That’s why we have taken this urgent action to ensure that our troops are treated equally and fairly.”
I’m proud that the UK Government recognises the sacrifices our Armed Forces make across the United Kingdom and the world, and that today we can reassure our service personnel that they will not be left hundreds of pounds out of pocket because of decisions taken by the Scottish Government.
Battle of Britain Spitfire pilot dies aged 96
The BBC broadcast images of Squadron Leader Geoffrey Wellum, who died on Wednesday evening aged 96. He was one of the youngest pilots to fly in the Battle of Britain and wrote about his experiences in First Light, one of the most famous accounts of the period. He was just 18 when he joined the battle as a Spitfire pilot.
The Times’ obituary highlighted the challenges he faced upon returning home and reported that First Light sold over 400,000 copies. In 2010 it was turned into a BBC drama.
Image of the day
