THE Mid Worcestershire MP has spoken of the importance of Members of Parliament who have served in the armed forces.

Nigel Huddleston said ex-military personnel have an admirable “propensity to teamwork and empathy” in parliamentary debates and “bring great value” in terms of “knowledge of defence issues”.

However, he emphasised the need for “people from all backgrounds and walks of life”.

Mr Huddleston was responding to a letter in the Worcester News by reader Wendy Hands, who was praising an article in The New Statesman by Andrew Gimson.

Mrs Hands said: “The writer believes that military experience is conducive to teamwork.

“From Churchill, until 1979, every PM, except Alec Douglas-Home and Harold Wilson, had served in the military in either the First or Second World Wars and so had hundreds of MPs.”

She said WW1, where the likes of Clement Attlee had served, “threw together subalterns from privileged backgrounds with men who had started with nothing” into a realm where there was “equality of sacrifice”.

“In Britain, the public is disgusted by politicians who seem interested only in advancing their careers and who display none of the qualities one looks for in a leader including the ability to recruit and work with the best people for the job,” wrote Mrs Hands.

“There seems a lot to be said for military training.”

Mr Huddleston agreed that ex-military personnel “have the rigour and discipline that comes with military training, but they are also vital within a body that makes significant military decisions and is tasked with defending the nation”.

“A few years ago, parliament had to make a decision on Syria that had immense human ramifications and it was crucial that the debates included strong contributions from those who had experienced military conflict first hand,” he said.

He went on to say, however, that by the same logic, “we are benefitted by former teachers when making decisions on education and former health professionals when making decisions on the NHS”.

Despite having no military experience himself, Mr Huddleston said he has “benefitted tremendously” from the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme.

“In visits to RAF bases across the country and in the Falkland Islands, I have witnessed the sense of camaraderie and shared purpose instilled by military experience,” he explained.

“I hope this experience will allow me to make more informed decisions on defence myself.”

He added: “The point Ms Hands makes is a very valid one and I am in no doubt that former military personnel play a key role in making parliament a diverse and representative place”.