Cumbrian MP welcomes announcement over changes to how the armed forces will investigate complaints

The MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron has welcomed the news that the way in which serious army complaints will be investigated is to change. 

A new tri-service complaints unit will be established, independent of the chain of command, and will see a new role of an Armed Forces Commissioner created, with powers to investigate service welfare matters, such as bullying, discrimination and harassment. This will also see the abolition of the Service Complaints Ombudsman.

Tim feels a key driver for these changes is down to families and individuals who have bravely spoken out of their experiences, including his own constituents, Leighann McCready and Anthony Beck, parents of Gunner Jaysley Beck who tragically took her own life following being sexually assaulted and harassed by other serving officers.

The recent coroner’s court ruled that Jaysley was badly let down after failures and breaches of army policy, exposing a culture of misogyny and abuse. Whilst her parents welcome these changes, they feel more still needs to be done, including investigations into why those guilty of sexually assaulting her daughter are still serving and have faced no repercussions for their actions.

Leighann, Jaysley’s mother commented: “While we welcome this progress, we know there is still more to be done. The details of how this will work in practice are critical.

“It’s not just about removing cases from the chain of command, it’s about ensuring that those handling them are truly independent, properly trained, and committed to real accountability. 

“Trust in the system is already low, and without genuine transparency and oversight, nothing will change. 

“If the changes prevent just one more tragedy, then we are moving in the right direction. But we will continue to push for a system that fully protects those who serve and ensures that no one is left without somewhere to turn.

Tim said: “The work being carried out by Jaysley’s family in the wake of such heartbreaking loss is truly inspiring. They are now working towards creating Jaysley’s Voice, not a formal service, but a platform to offer support, encouragement, and a safe space for others to feel heard, to speak up, and to know they’re not alone. 

“The creation by the MOD of a central Violence Against Women and Girls Taskforce, to drive cultural improvements cannot come soon enough if they truly want to drive up confidence that complaints will be taken seriously. Recent news items suggest that they have a long way to go before trust is truly established and serving female personnel feel they can have real faith in the system investigating complaints robustly and transparently and suffering no detriment themselves for raising such concerns.

“I will continue to support Jaysley’s family as they still seek many answers to questions they have raised in the pursuit of what happened to Jaysley and how systems must be put in place to prevent another young person being lost because the safeguards that were supposed to protect them failed.”