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Jonny Ball speaks with his former government colleague Derek Plews about a career that moved from journalism in Northern Ireland to reservist service, civil service communications, and senior defence media roles. The conversation explores how employer support shapes reservist life, why Defence Relationship Management was created, and why storytelling matters for veterans and the public record. Derek also discusses his book, Shamrock Among the Poppies, and the importance of preserving soldiers’ experiences in their own words.

You can buy his book here: https://www.helion.co.uk/military-history-books/shamrocks-among-the-poppies-musa-qaleh-2006-a-bloody-siege-and-the-failures-behind-it.php

The episode covers Derek’s time working with high-profile political figures including Michael Portillo, John Prescott, and Geoff Hoon, and what it is like to stay politically neutral while operating close to power. He reflects on the communications challenge around Afghanistan, especially the gap between official messaging and conditions on the ground in Helmand.

Derek and Jonny discuss the growing influence of veterans in politics, including serving reservists and ex-servicemen bringing lived experience into Westminster. The conversation turns to the Armed Forces Covenant, employer recognition, and the practical case for industry to support reservists and cadet volunteers.

Finally, Derek explains why he wrote Shamrock Among the Poppies: to tell the story of the siege of Musa Qala through the eyes of soldiers, NCOs, and junior ranks rather than just officers.

He closes by stressing the importance of storytelling, mental health awareness, and preserving the historical record before memories are lost.

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Jonny Ball welcomes Minister for Veterans & People at the UK Ministry of Defence, Calvin Bailey MBE MP.  We talk about his growing up in South East London, what inspired him to join the RAF, and the power of football communities with the Armed Forces.  This was recorded exclusively for Veterans In Politics.

We also pay tribute to Operation Pitting, as we hit the 5 year anniversary of the withdrawal from Kabul, Afghanistan, where as a pilot, Calvin played a vital role.  This episode is dedicated to all those who served and the civilians impacted by conflict.

Calvin is the Labour MP for Leyton and Wanstead, elected on the 5th of July 2024. Born in Zambia, Calvin’s family moved to London, settling in Plumstead. Growing up in south-east London as a young Black man, he faced far-right violence and was deeply affected by the tragic murder of Stephen Lawrence, the older brother of his close friend Stuart. This event profoundly influenced Calvin’s politics and desire to serve the community. 

Calvin graduated with a Master of Engineering from the University of Exeter in 1999 and later completed a Master of Arts in War Studies at King's College London in 2017.

Calvin spent over 24-years in the Royal Air Force, rising to the rank of Wing Commander. During his military service, he led humanitarian efforts and operations in conflict zones. He was awarded an MBE for his support of relief operations in Haiti and the Philippines. 

He also proudly led critical missions, including commanding the UK's largest deployed Air Wing during the COVID-19 pandemic and overseeing the evacuation of 14,000 people from Kabul during Operation Pitting where he made the critical decision to double the number of passengers taken per flight, recognising that the risk of overloading the aircraft was outweighed by the risk to the lives of those who would have been left behind.

Calvin became a junior minister in Keir Starmer's government when he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Veterans and People on 12 June 2026. A role he kept during the Burnham reshuffle.

See more here: https://www.calvinbailey.co.uk/

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This week Jonny Ball chats to former Royal Marine David Reed MP, who started his political journey listening to this podcast!

David is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Exmouth & Exeter East. He serves on the opposition front bench as Shadow Defence Whip, is a member of the International Development Committee, and Vice Chair of the APPG for Foreign Affairs.

David began his career in the Royal Marines and Special Forces Support Group, serving in multiple conflict zones over seven years. He was also part of the Royal Navy Parachute Display Team and was selected for the Team GB Wingsuit Skydiving Squad.

After leaving the military, he earned a First-Class degree in Business and a Master’s in International Security.

Before entering Parliament in 2024, David led major cyberspace development portfolios across the public and private sectors, co-founded a software engineering company, and held a senior role at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence.

To find out more about him check out his website here: https://www.davidreed.uk/

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This week, our host Jonny Ball catches up with an old friend, Dr Neil Shastri Hurst MP, who came on the show under very different circumstances in a previous season!

*Warning- we cover the subject of suicide in this episode.  Details on how you can find help are below.

Neil was elected as the Member of Parliament for Solihull West and Shirley in July 2024. Born and raised in South Birmingham, Neil knows the values that make our community strong – hard work, compassion, and a deep sense of service to others.

His parents both worked for the NHS – his mother a nurse, his father a GP – caring for families across our region. Their example of compassion, duty, and public service shaped his values from an early age.

Following in their footsteps, Neil trained as a doctor and went on to serve in the British Army as a Medical Officer, supporting our Armed Forces both at home and overseas.

After leaving the Army, Neil joined the NHS working at a number of hospitals across the West Midlands. His final medical post was with the Major Trauma Service at University Hospitals Birmingham, one of the most advanced trauma centres in the country, delivering world-class care for patients across our region, including here in Solihull West & Shirley.

When a medical condition ended his surgical career, Neil retrained as a barrister, specialising in healthcare law. It was this blend of frontline experience – as a soldier, a surgeon, and a lawyer – that drove Neil to seek public office. He has seen first-hand the impact government and national policy can have on people’s lives – and he wanted to bring real-world experience to Westminster to shape that impact for the better.

He believes that public service is about standing up for what is right – whether that is fighting for better local services, supporting those who serve our country, or ensuring that the next generation has the opportunities it deserves.

Neil’s priority is simple: to listen, to serve, and to deliver for our community.

He brings with him a commitment to integrity, service, and putting people first. As your Member of Parliament, Neil will always stand up for Solihull West & Shirley – and for the country he is proud to serve.

• call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans
• https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support
• https://giveusashout.org/
• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/managing-your-mental-health-as-a-veteran

To sign up to Neil's Resilience Report find the link here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/the-resilience-report-7386717617627242497/

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In this episode Jonny Ball meets Royal Navy Veteran Andrew Bowie MP.

Andrew grew up in Aberdeenshire spending the first years of his life in Alford, a village within the constituency of West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine.  Andrew moved at a young age to the town of Inverurie.

Upon leaving school Andrew joined the Royal Navy in which he served as an officer for 3 years, a career that took him around the world to Brazil, Bahrain, Gibraltar and The Falklands. His duties back home included work for the ceremonial events commemoration team.  Following this Andrew returned to the North East, studying politics and history at the University of Aberdeen.

Andrew began his political career in 2014 when he became the Conservative campaign manager for the North of Scotland, organising the 2014 European Election, the Scottish Independence Referendum and 2015 General Election.  Andrew then worked for Conservative MEP Ian Duncan as his Parliamentary Assistant and Rural Affairs Policy Adviser.  Andrew was recruited by Liam Kerr MSP following his election to the Scottish Parliament in 2016 where he was Head of Office based in the Scottish Parliament.

In 2017 Andrew was selected as the Conservative and Unionist candidate for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine.  Andrew was elected with a total of 24,704 votes, a majority of 7,949.  Andrew became the first Conservative MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine since its creation in 1997.

Since June 2017 Andrew has represented the people of West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine as their Member of Parliament in Westminster.  In March 2018 he became the first new Scottish MP and the first of the 2017 intake, to be promoted when he was appointed as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. In January 2019 Andrew was promoted to Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Prime Minister.

In August 2019 Andrew was appointed Vice Chair of the Conservative Party, covering the Union and Youth within the party. Following a snap election in December 2019 Andrew was re-elected by the residents of West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine to represent them once again and was again re-elected in July 2024.

Andrew was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Exports in October 2022 until February 2023. That month he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the new Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Following the election on the 4th July 2024 Andrew was appointed Shadow Minister for Veterans and Shadow Minister for Energy. Since the election of Kemi Badenoch as Leader of the Conservative Party Andrew has served as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland and Shadow Minister for Energy.

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Note- this was recorded prior to Danny's resignation.

Danny Kinahan, is the first Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland and was appointed to this role by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in September 2020, as a result of the New Decade New Approach political agreement.

He's a former Army officer, MLA and Member of Parliament.

In this episode, our host Jonny Ball quizzes him about his military, civilian and political career as well as the role of Veterans' Commissioner.

Danny's Key priorities:

• Ensuring the interests of veterans and their families are championed at all levels.
• Remembering, celebrating and promoting the contribution veterans have and continue to make to society.
• Ensuring that every veteran and their family living in Northern Ireland know where to turn, to access support, assistance or advice if they need it.
• Developing policy and improved services, in collaboration with government (both locally and across the UK) and other relevant organisations, to enhance veterans’ daily experiences.

For more information, check out his website here: https://www.nivco.co.uk/about-the-ni-veterans-commissioner/

Dont forget to share with a friend, rate and leave a review.

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Colonel (Retd) James Phillips is the first veterans commissioner for Wales.

James, who lives in Pembrokeshire, left the Army after serving 33 years, including in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and the Balkans.

He believes Wales has a "long tradition of service and sacrifice".

His appointment means Wales joins Northern Ireland and Scotland in having a dedicated commissioner, though at the time of the recording, England is yet to appoint.

This was recorded before the General Election and we thank James for his patience.  We had to delay due to the restrictions placed on appointed persons like James, but as you will hear, it was an amazing chat.

We cover his lengthy military career as well as what a commissioner's role is.  Don't forget to listen to our host Jonny's 3 key takeaways at the end!

Huge thanks to Bags at Bare Arms Support to Film & TV for the lend of the studio.  For more on their work, see here: Bare Arms – Military Advisers to the Theatrical Industries – Film, TV, Theatre, Games

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Daniel McBirnie is a Saffron Walden councillor and resident.  He has fought developers and won concessions for local people and is a former Army Lieutenant Colonel who’s provided MoD briefings to the government on Covid and Mental Health.

Daniel began his military career at the Army's 6th Form College, Welbeck, which is sadly no longer open.  He went on to a full career in the Royal Logistics Corps' serving as an Ammunition Technical Officer (ATO) which is more colloquially known as 'Bomb Disposal.'

We talk Afghanistan, his journey into a demanding and highly pressurised role, as well as his transition into business and local politics.

During the episode we touch on the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme and Armed Forces Covenant which he advocates.  This is administered by MOD's Defence Relationship Management, and you can find out more about them here: Defence Relationship Management - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

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Hailing from the West of Ireland, Rich’s vibrant childhood was filled with sports and weekend fun with his grandparents. After an ankle injury and subsequent loss of his left leg due to sepsis, Rich found a new path in athletics and indoor rowing. His resilience shone at the 2023 Invictus Games, where he claimed gold in the 100m, silver in table tennis, and bronze in the relay. And this is where our host Jonny Ball met him, on the same team for the UK.

In their side bar conversations over Invictus, they soon learnt that they had politics in common too, so it's a delight to be able to share this side of his story.  Moreover, it's a chance to talk about Rich's next challenge: The Limbitless Expedition: Conquering the Full Snowman Trek!  He is doing this alongside another one of our team mates, Rich 'Dickie' Davies.  

To support their exped in support of amazing military charities go to their page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/rich-potter-1707920143406

And please share with a friend!  Good luck boys!

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We return this week during Season 10 of the podcast to the Conservative Leadership race with former Secretary of State, Rt Hon James Cleverly MP.  

Our host Jonny Ball first met James back in the Noughties when they were both active in London Party Politics.  Since then, James has gone on to great things, but in this episode, Jonny recalls an early moment from a Party Conference in 2008, to demonstrate perhaps that James hasn't really changed that much!

Alongside a busy political career, James has also served as an Army Reservist in the Royal Artillery.

James Cleverly was Secretary of State for the Home Department between 13 November 2023 and 5 July 2024.

He was previously Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs between 6 September 2022 and 13 November 2023.

He was Secretary of State for Education from July 2022 to September 2022.

Before that, James was Minister of State for Europe and North America in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) from February to July 2022. He was also Minister for Middle East, North Africa and North America from September 2020 to February 2022. James was first appointed as a joint Minister of State for Middle East and North Africa in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Department for International Development on 13 February 2020.

James was Minister without Portfolio from July 2019 to February 2020, and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union from April 2019 to July 2019. He was first elected as the Conservative MP for Braintree in May 2015.

To follow James's journey, see here: Homepage | Rt Hon James Cleverly (cleverly4braintree.com)

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