"The only way that the army will get decent pay is if the army march and demonstrate outside parliament"

Well, as long as they don't turn up with guns and tanks i'll be right there beside them!

Anthony, Brum,

they all should do what i did and leave for a better paid job, until then they will not get the money, you can shout about it as much as you like, but its supply and demand. Walk lads and lasses make them buy you back at three times the price

brian, notts, england

Its wrong that anybody in the arm and putting their lives on the line should be paid such a pathetic wage! Plus they have to pay tax even when they are out of the country for long periods-business men don't!!! Wrong

Mark, Plymouth,

In the forces v. difficult to get on housing ladder & paying rent for an army quarter. When my old man came out the army after having to cover normal costs + my mother not generally being able to have a career as we moved around every 2 years often abroad, they were lucky to be able to get anything

John, Sandwich, UK

Kate in Manchester.
Yes housing and accommodation is subsidised but its condition is shocking. Please remember that many Army barracks had to be refurbished to be brought up to standard for asylum seekers to live in, but when the Army were there they were fine! People don't join the Army for the £

Ed, London, UK

Keep the pressure up join the UKNDA. The measure of a country is not only how it treats its most vulnerable. It is how it treats its bravest and best.

Alice, Exeter, UK

They could always get a better procurement department witihin the MOD and re direct the many millions that are wasted in that department.

John, Egremont,

As ever with Gordon Brown, he makes largely worthless promises about future actions without fixing today's problem. A 'white paer', a 'review' are just the things to get this problem quietly forgotten about. Shameful conduct for someone who pretends to be a World Leader.

Jon, London,

as an old soldier all i can sat is status quo.

Mike Ryan, LILLEHAMMER, Norway

Pay Brown 16k, then raise it by 9%.

Tikhon Savrasov, london, england

"In a few years time Prince William will be the head of all three of the Armed Services"

I take it that he will also spend some time in the clergy too. He may one day be head of the Church of England. Dont think we'll be seeing that.

John, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

And 90% of traffic wardens aren't even British!!

Bob, London,

When I joined the Army it certainly wasn't for the money. No one does join for the money. However, when the prospect of a decent wage outweighs the prospect of going to unwinnable wars for 6 months every 18 months soldiers will leave and are doing so in droves. The Armed forces are broken.

Ed, London, UK

It would be interesting to compare the creaking, leaking accommodation of our troops with the luxurious appartments, gyms, swimming pools, kitchens, playing fields, room service that prisoners enjoy in New Labour's New Britain.

Raymond, Somerset,

Soldiers face the same problem as teachers, nurses and firemen - they only have one employer to chose from: the Government. No open market means no competition and hence low wages.

Guy, London, UK

MPs seeking a £16,000 a year salary increase so they don't have to account for their expense claims should hang their heads in shame. The Labour Govt, which has sent our troops to war zones with insufficient or poor equipment, is guilty of negligence. This is compounded by paying them peanuts.

Donna Walker, Effingham, England

This while a Tory MEP puts in expenses of 400k....

Way past obscene.

Bill Bird, Wallasey, UK

Our sailors, soldiers and airmen have been treated badly for decades. They go to war on the whim of a PM, they don't get the equipmrnt they need and their families live without a partner for months.
They are also disciplined if they speak out. Have you ever wondered why they don't?

Dave Kinsley, derby, uk

The easy and popular solution is to pay traffic wardens less.

Neelkumar Patel, Peterborough,

Maybe because traffic wardens make more money for the government than British soldiers. I'm sure they'll increase soldiers salaries when the oil starts flowing from Iraq?

jayil, london, uk

Decent levels of pay and accommodation for service personnel and their families should go without saying in a wealthy western democracy: as should the treatment of former service men and women.

The current situation is a national disgrace.

Helen W., Oxford, England

In a few years time Prince William will be the head of all three of the Armed Services. If he were not allowed to experience life close to the front line then how would he be able to relate to the serving members of the RN, Army and RAF; and how would they be expected to respect him?

Paul, Hants,

The best thing that all soldiers can do is to resign. This is the only thing that would wake up the politicians. The western world asks too much and offers little to people who put their lives on the line for others.

Mark, Melbourne,

And they do this for sleazy politicians who fiddle their expenses
and who are still reluctant to open the expenses they claim for public perusal..

richierich, Warwickshire, uk

On the whole I agree that the services should be paid more, however within the services there are various levels of pay dependant on your trade\employment. Someone in the Signals who takes a year to train will earn more than someone in the Infantry whose training takes 24 weeks.

James, Oxford, UK

Pay levels are set not according to a job's "worthiness", but from what it takes to attract sufficient employees.

If lots of people apply to be in the armed force/police/nursing etc, but few to be traffic wardens then this is the result.

Solution with all jobs - vote with your feet.

Clive, Surrey,

The only way that the army will get decent pay is if the army march and demonstrate outside parliament (the same as the police demonstration against jacqui smith)

Only this kind of public action will embarrass the labour Government into doing something about an issue they care little about.

jason, maidenhead, berks

As a mother of a serving soldier and campaigner for better conditions for our Troops I am greatful that they have such a fab General who is backing his men and wanting better for them. All we need know is No 10 to listen
www.parcels43.co.uk Supporting Troops and their Families

Teresa Theobald, Ipswich, UK

Sir Dannatt would make a good politician, he will obviously get lots of support from the way he compares soldiers to traffic wardens. Most people dislike traffic wardens, so comparing wages with them is bound to provoke a sympothetic reaction.

Stuart, coventry,

Times could add the salary of the MPs in the list. They are drawing c60k and asking for above inflation pay rise. See the Times report:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article2806717.ece

Soldiers putting their lives at risk definitely deserve better pay.

Somna, Croydon,

Well if you think about who brings in the cash for the treasury .

jojo, Colchester,

Peter - Aside from missing the point of this debate; in order to be a good leader,as one day William will no doubt be,you should have earnt the respect of those under you by proving you know what goes on in their day to day work.
Of course this statistic is a disgrace - unfortunately not a surpris

Charlie, Sevenoaks,

For a fraction of the rise in NHS spending (much of which has failed to deliver real benefits for patients) we could pay the armed forces a proper wage, provide the personal protection equipment that they need and fix the appaling state of their housing. But we have a Socialist Government.......

Stuart, Norwich, UK

Helen

How much is risking your life or getting your limbs blown off, worth on the open market?

Mark, Liverpool,

Free food and accomodation...you talk rubbish. Now if you said immigrants get free food, free accommodation . lots of other free benefits, then yes...you're on the right track. We treat our armed services as a joke..Why can't we in this country look after our own??.

kirk, Rotherham , UK

Helen

Not only is your information flawed ( as already pointed out ) what you haven't taken into consideration is that when on deployment troop are working 18-20 hour days, no weekends off.... if you work out the hourly rate of pay it is well below the minimum, more respect needed for our forces

Matt, Colchester,

Scandalous. How can one of the best armed forces in the world be treated in such an inhumane way. Basic pay should be at least equal to that of a police officer and furthermore, the government should be spending more on kit for the armed forces as a whole. Simple as.

Andy, Nottingham,

Ooops! Looks like the general has had his tea leaves read to tell him he won't be getting the top slot. Either that or he has more gumption than the rest put together.

Comments reflect the ignorance of Service life despite the best PR efforts of MOD.

Jim D, Norwich, uk

Harry and Willy seem to get by ok. But then again they're single.

brian keating, agde, france

Troops enjoy subsidise housing, utilities and many household goods purchases, this is not true for any other segment of society. About 40 percent of the wages of a civilian are consumed by these expenses.

Kate, Manchester, UK

A private soldier on a salary of £16,228,76 serving a six month tour of IRQ/AFG will (before deductions and the Op bonus [which doesn't fully cancel the deductions out]) will earn £8114.38 + £1000.80 (£5.56 per day LSSA) = £9115.18. This equates to an hourly rate of approximately £2.10. Shocking!

James, Manchester,

It is shocking that traffic wardens are paid more than soldiers.
Traffic wardens should have their pay halved.

John McAllister, Bristol, England

You couldn't pay me enough to make me want to go out there and be shot at.

Matt, Plymouth,

Hmmm, given the choice between food and a night on the tiles, hardly surprising.
Pay as You Dine has a lot to answer for in many cases it would seem.

A crusty old Warrant Officer.

Paul W, Swindon, UK

This Labour government have treated our soldiers disgracefully over the last 10 years. They send them all over the world and pay them peanuts. Gordon Brown is very good at spending our taxes on everything we DONT WANT OUR MONEY SPENT ON but crap at spending our money on WHAT WE WANT. BROWN SORT IT.

dave reardon, nuneaton,

This Scottish Prime Minister doesn't care about the services! He made them starve when he was Chancellor, he is making them starve now he is Prime Minister. . . . . . No surprises there then!

andy, london,

It is a huge disgrace yes, sickening. But, i read recently in Sniper One, "you dont take the Queens shilling then not expect to see any combat", thats from a Sergent in the Armys longest engagment since WWII

More respect yes! combat wages, maybe! we wont always be at war, can we afford it?

LMR, London,

Yes Helen, you are missing something. To dispel a few urban myths, I don't get free accommodation, nor free food, I pay full tax, I work in some pretty unpleasant places, my children go to state schools and I don't get free fuel or utilities. To contibute meaningfully, get the basic facts right.

Hugh Crowther, London,

The argument should be balanced against the fact that soldiers get very good benefits including the best pensions. The cost of these extra perks are significant and can add 30 to 50% to the salary

wilts, Salisbury,

Wouldn't it be nice if the politicians who send soldiers into harms way could acknowledge this. Perhaps they could refuse to furnish their second homes with plasma TVs. Or if they are really really decent ,refuse to take a pay rise while we have troops in the field paid less than wardens.

Thomas, Wallington, UK

They should stick the Traffic Wardens on the front line.

Phill, The Wirral, England

Gordon Brown is happy to insist on £2 billion of funding for Aircraft Carriers to be built in his own constituency, but will not provide funding for vital front line equipment for the army or pay soldiers a decent wage. That pretty much sums up this dishonourable government.

Peter, London,

Perverse when you consider what the tanker drivers are going on strike about (£36K+)...

John, Sandwich, UK

I think that our armed forces should have...

- tax free salary, they are already risking their lives.
- accommodation to a high standard.
- and the right equipment to do the job.

Inde, London,

Accommodation for single personnel not only has to be paid for, it is also pretty basic - shared rooms are commonplace. Married quarters are not always available and standards of maintenance vary from adequate to appalling..

What do traffic wardens do to justify starting pay of £17,000?

Ann Lyon, Plymouth,

So why are the military paying so much money for Prince William to lark about in helicopters and ships? I estimate it has cost the military at least a couple of million quid to train William without any intention of letting him near the enemy.

Peter, Bristol, UK

I agree with Rachel from london. These men and women, whether they be police officers, firefighters medics and especially our soldiers will put their own lives at risk for the benefit of you and me, and i'm being told that they are getting paid less than traffic wardens! This is just not acceptable.

Yashmni, Ilford, England

Soilders need more respect in the country, better housing, subsidies, no tax when in combat. It is sickening the way we treat our soildiers.

LMR, London,

Helen:

No soldiers do not get free food or accomodation, unless on active service, their families at home do not ! If you are missing something it would appear to be a sympathetic thought for those lads and lasses who over the years have given all, to allow you (rightly) too make facile comments!

Wills, s, UK

Yes Helen, you are missing something. Soldiers do not receive free food but now have to pay for their food from the mess halls.

Tom Baker, London,

Helen, food and accomodation is paid for by single soldiers when not on an operational tour. Married soldiers living in service quarters pay rent and obviously pay for their food. This charge for the accomodation varies on quality, how many people the soldier has to share with etc.

James, Manchester,

Do ALL of them get a free place to stay? Decades ago, perhaps but I doubt if that is the case now. I have always believed the police, armed forces, firefighters, medics should be paid well because their job involves putting their lives on the line for people like you and me.

Rachel, London, UK

Helen, accommodation and food are only free on deployed operations; in barracks soldiers pay. Indeed, rents have risen to market rates over the past few years, and there is now Pay as You Dine, where every meal is paid for individually.

John, Perth,

Why should we be surprised?
New Labour has treated our Armed Forces appallingly, cutting funding at every opportunity but they'll throw tax payers' money at a failing bank that created its own mess. Soldiers fight politicians’ wars; so maybe the politicians should swap salaries with them.

Paul, West Midlands,

Helen,

You are missing something: most soldier now have Pay As You Dine and there is also a cost for accomodation deducted from their salary.

Matthew, Manchester,

I may be missing something, but don't they get free food and accommodation? How much is that worth on the open market?

Helen, Oxford,

It is disgusting and disgraceful that we treat soldoers like this. Put your life on the line but get paid less than a traffic warden and live in homes too nasty for asylum seekers. This Government talks the talk but never walks the walk. Perhaps MPs and their kids should be made to walk the walk.

Keith, Dartford, UK

It's a disgrace that a traffic warden should be paid more that a soldier. As an ex soldier I know only too well what they have to put up with. I don't seen traffic wardens spending six months away from their families(fighting unjust wars) who have to live in sub- standard housing.

John O'Shea, Canterbury, United Kingdom