Former Air Commodore Polly Perkins CBE has been chosen as
the preferred candidate for Armed Forces Commissioner by the
Defence Secretary MP – delivering on the
government's key manifesto commitment to give serving personnel
and their families an independent voice to improve service life.
The Armed Forces Commissioner is a new statutory office that will
be an independent champion and direct point of contact for
personnel and their families and have unprecedented powers to
investigate welfare issues and raise concerns that impact service
life, including equipment, housing, and unacceptable behaviours.
The office will be up and running from 1 April 2026.
Polly's appointment is subject to a pre-appointment hearing by
the House of Commons Defence Select Committee (HCDC) on Wednesday
25th March 2026 in line with the public appointments process.
HCDC will publish their views and recommendations after the
session which the government will consider before finalising and
agreeing the appointment.
Appointing an Armed Forces Commissioner was a lead defence
manifesto commitment by this Government to renew the nation's
contract with those who serve.
Former RAF Air Commodore Polly Perkins served for over 30 years
in the Royal Air Force, specialising in logistics and holding
senior leadership roles including Deputy Commander and Chief of
Staff, British Forces Cyprus. She deployed on operations in
Kosovo and Afghanistan and worked with NATO partners to improve
multinational logistics. She holds an MA in Defence Studies from
King's College London and was awarded a CBE for her service.
Defence Secretary MP said:
“Our Armed Forces are at the heart of our nation's security. With
demands on defence rising, from the conflict in the Middle East
to growing Russian aggression, we are asking more of our
military, and it is right that we continue to step up our support
for them and their families.
"I am proud that we legislated in our first year of government to
create this new Commissioner role, with powers to challenge
Ministers and military leaders and to report directly to
Parliament.
“Polly brings deep experience of service life and exceptional
leadership as this country's first ever Armed Forces
Commissioner, she will be the independent champion and direct
point of contact that our Armed Forces and their families
deserve. Our message to the Armed Forces community is clear: this
government is on your side.”
The Armed Forces Commissioner will be able to visit UK Defence
sites unannounced, commission reports, and will report directly
to Parliament to hold the Government to account. Personnel and
their families will be able to contact the Commissioner about
issues affecting them, with the Commissioner empowered to
investigate these concerns, seek relevant information from the
Ministry of Defence, and make recommendations for improvement.
The appointment builds on this Government's commitment to improve
all aspects of service life including a new defence housing
strategy to make homes fit for heroes, the biggest pay rise for
personnel in 20 years and putting the Armed Forces Covenant into
law through the Armed Forces Bill introduced this year.
The move to appoint a commissioner has been inspired and modelled
on the Commissioner for the Armed Forces in Germany, who has been
received positively by German personnel.
The Commissioner will be able to investigate individual welfare
concerns, undertake thematic reviews into systemic issues
affecting service life, and report findings directly to
Parliament – strengthening transparency and public understanding
of welfare matters across Defence.
This appointment delivers on the Government's commitment to renew
the nation's contract with those who serve, ensuring that
welfare, dignity and respect sit at the heart of Defence.
The Interim Commissioner will carry out all the functions of the
Commissioner and a permanent appointment is due to be made in the
coming months through an open competition. Further details about
the role and how personnel and families can engage with the
Interim Commissioner will be shared in due course.
The Armed Forces Commissioner role came into law under the Armed
Forces Commissioner Act on 3 September 2025. They will take
responsibility for the existing Service Complaints Ombudsman and
will ensure there is no break in that service.
