The shadow armed forced minister has come to Basingstoke on the campaign trail.

Stephen Morgan, the Labour MP for Portsmouth South, visited the town on Friday to help his fellow party candidates campaign in the battleground seat of Winklebury & Manydown.

He, alongside Alex Lee, who has served in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan in the army and is now standing for the council, met veterans from the town to discuss the issues that they faced.

Some of the issues talked about included housing, mental health and helping soldiers transition back to civilian life after they leave the army.

Basingstoke Gazette: Veterans David Knights and Hannah Stewart with Stephen Morgan.Veterans David Knights and Hannah Stewart with Stephen Morgan.

Mr Morgan, who used to work in the town when he was chief executive of Basingstoke Voluntary Action, said: "Equipment is all well and good but it is the personnel that make the difference.

"Often a lot of the narrative is about nurses and police officers and we forget that those that have served face the same pay cuts."

After meeting with veterans, he went on the campaign trail with Labour's candidates in the new ward of Winklebury & Manydown - Alex Lee, Declan Embley and Cllr Angie Freeman.

Speaking to The Gazette, Mr Morgan said: "It is really good to be back in Basingstoke, I went to work here before I got elected.

"I know the value of having more Labour councillors on Basingstoke council.

"I know some of the social issues that people in Basingstoke facer and the issues we will see like the Manydown development.

"Alex is a huge campaigner for the armed forces."

Candidates in Winklebury & Manydown:

  • Abigail Compton-Burnett (Conservative)
  • Sean Dillow (CON)
  • Declan Embley (Labour)
  • Angie Freeman (LAB)
  • Alex Lee (LAB)
  • Wendy McKay (Liberal Democrat)
  • Scott Neville (Hampshire Independents)
  • Mike Patchett (CON)