Injured But Forgotten: Police Officers Bring Fight for Recognition to Parliament

On Tuesday, I had the honour of welcoming 30 former police officers, along with their families and carers, to Parliament as part of the powerful Injured But Forgotten campaign. These are men and women who served our communities with bravery, often for decades, only to suffer life-changing injuries in the line of duty and be forced into early retirement without so much as formal recognition.

Among them were several former Greater Manchester Police officers, including my constituent Jane Notley. Jane had her legs crushed between two cars while on duty. She came to one of my surgeries last year and opened my eyes to the true scale of the injustice faced by emergency service workers injured while protecting the public. Jane’s story is heartbreaking, but her determination is nothing short of inspiring.

There are more than 800 former GMP officers alone who had to give up their careers because of serious injuries. Across the UK, we estimate there are more than 15,000 ex-police officers in a similar situation, and that’s without counting injured paramedics, firefighters, and others.

This is why I’m leading the parliamentary effort to introduce an Injury in Service Award. It’s a simple principle: if you put your body on the line for the public and are left unable to continue your job, you deserve recognition and respect, not to be forgotten.

Thanks to the incredible work of campaign leader Tom Curry, a former detective from Surrey, momentum is building. I’ve tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament, which has now gained over 100 signatures from across all parties, including both Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage. That tells you just how unifying this issue is.

I’ve also secured a three-hour Commons debate for early autumn. It’s our chance to finally put this injustice centre stage and demand action from the Government. But this can’t just be a one-off event. We have to keep the pressure up.

To everyone who came to Parliament on Tuesday: thank you for your service, your courage, and your campaigning spirit. I will keep fighting alongside you until we get the recognition you all so clearly deserve.