Burnham-On-Sea MP James Heappey ‘honoured’ to be new Armed Forces Minister

Burnham-On-Sea MP James Heappey says he is “honoured” to have been appointed Minister for the Armed Forces this week in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s first reshuffle since the General Election. 

Having served as Minister for Defence Procurement since December, the former Army Major will now be responsible for armed forces activity, including operations, operational legal matters and international defence engagement. 

Mr Heappey says it is a ‘true honour’ to take on this new role. He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I have enjoyed my time in the MOD immensely so I am very pleased to be moving just a few doors down to be Minister for the Armed Forces.”

“It is a true honour to have been given this important role and I will work hard to ensure our Armed Forces are looked after and we recruit and retain great soldiers for the future.”

“I cannot wait to get started and will still ensure I am the voice of Somerset in Government.”

Mr Heappey had an action packed few months in defence procurement, visiting a number of high-profile businesses including the HMS Naval Base in Davenport and BAE Systems.

He also secured £183million of funding for the MOD’s Military Flying Training System, which boosted technology for student pilots.