Britain is proud of you for what you do, Starmer tells personnel on visit to Cyprus
The Prime Minister has thanked British personnel in Cyprus for their work during a volatile period in the Middle East.
Sir Keir Starmer praised personnel during a speech at RAF Akrotiri before thanking troops across the world in a message recorded by BFBS Forces News.
"I feel proud, the Government feels proud, the country feels proud," he said.
"You should feel proud and please keep making us feel proud.
"I know that we ask a lot of you, I don't apologise for that, but I do acknowledge it and I do say a huge, huge thanks for it."
Sir Keir Starmer was at RAF Akrotiri to address servicemen and women who have been involved in Operation Shader to tackle the so-called Islamic State.
He referred to some of the sensitive work conducted from the base, heralding the work the personnel have done even if it can't be acknowledged fully in public for security reasons.
"I am also aware that some or quite a bit of what goes on here can't necessarily be talked about," he said. "Although we're really proud of what you're doing, we can't necessarily tell the world what you're doing here, and therefore it makes it really important to say thank you, to acknowledge that.
"Because, although we're not saying it to the whole world for reasons that are obvious to you, the whole world is relying on you and everybody back at home is relying on you."
One of those in the crowd for Sir Keir's address was Second Lieutenant Fintan Yeatman, OC 1 Platoon, A COY, 1 Rifles.
He told BFBS Forces News receiving the message in person was a morale booster.
"Especially for me as a young commander, for all my riflemen to see him come to us and take the time out of imagine what is a very busy schedule to give us that lift as we roll into the end of the end of the year and reflect on all the hard work that we've achieved," he said.
He also said the event was a lot more relaxed than expected, with no formal parade or demonstration from the personnel in Cyprus.
"The relaxed nature created a really nice human touch from the Prime Minister to all of us and allowed us to see him in a very different light to what we're used to," he said.
"For the riflemen... having been dislocated from their families in their home country for now nearly two years, I think [it] was a really important touch that he provided, which was really great to see."
Troops on the base have also worked to deliver aid drops to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to draw up an evacuation plan for Lebanon.
The Prime Minister acknowledged how things had changed a number of times for those working on the evacuation, but said he had complete faith in the personnel to get the job done.
"I want you to know that when I was making decisions about what we would do, when we would do it… I knew you would step up," he said when talking about the evacuation.
"I knew that I could say… to allies that we would be ready to do whatever was necessary when it was necessary and that is because I had complete faith in you."
He also told personnel there is "no higher service than the service that you give to our country".
"I talk about service in politics, but the service you give first-hand to your country to make us safe as a country – and our allies safe in a really volatile time at the moment in the world – that is the highest form of service," Sir Keir said.
"I am grateful. The country is grateful.
"I hope that over the Christmas period, you do get a little bit of time just to reflect and relax at the end of what has been a really challenging year."
He added: "Millions of people in the UK who would love to be on this stage, having the opportunity to personally say to you thank you on their behalf, on behalf of their families and their communities for what you're doing because they're so proud of what you do.
"They don't have that opportunity but through me.
"I want to extend that to you and I want you to feel that from across the whole of the country."
After his speech, which saw the PM stand in a crowd of personnel with an RAF Typhoon and Atlas A400M behind him, Sir Keir spoke to troops – including one of the RAF personnel involved in shooting down Iranian drones launched at Israel.
He then donned an apron to serve pasta to soldiers at the junior ranks canteen, before joining military personnel and their families for lunch.
Sir Keir's time in Cyprus represents the first bilateral visit by a British prime minister in 53 years.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
