'Honoured and proud': Telford MP appointed as Private Parliamentary Secretary for the Defence Minister
The MP for Telford has been appointed to a role working with the Defence Secretary.
Shaun Davies, Labour MP for Telford, has been appointed as the Private Parliamentary Secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey.
In his new role, Mr Davies will act as a liaison between the Defence Secretary and Members of Parliament.
Telford has strong links to the armed forces and is home to some of the country's leading defence businesses.
Mr Davies said he was "honoured and proud" to have been selected for the post, and added: “In an increasingly dangerous and complex world, this is one of the most important moments for the Ministry of Defence in my lifetime.
"With rising defence spending driving British economic growth and a renewed focus on protecting and supporting those who have served, I am honoured to play my part in this mission.
"Coming from a service family and representing Telford this role is also deeply personal.
"Our town is home to some of the UK’s leading defence businesses, playing a vital role in our national defence supply chain.
"We have an exceptionally skilled and dedicated workforce — something I’ve seen first-hand when visiting local defence firms.
"I’m also proud that so many organisations in our town have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and I’ll continue working to ensure even more businesses make that important commitment to our service personnel and veterans.
“For me, this appointment brings together two things I care about most, standing up for Telford and serving our country. I look forward to supporting John Healey and the Defence team as we work together on this vital agenda.”
Over the past year, Mr Davies said he has made it a priority in Telford to champion the town’s local Armed Forces and veterans' issues.
He highlighted initiatives including hosting roundtables with service personnel and key services, and successfully campaigning for a new Armed Forces Hub to be located in Telford.
He also recently graduated the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme (RAF), gaining valuable insight into the needs and experiences of those serving across the military.
Mr Davies' office said the PPS role is unpaid and he will now step down from his positions as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the West Midlands Events Group, and from the Home Affairs Select Committee in order to "focus fully on his new responsibilities".
