White Ensign Association holds ‘New Government, New Maritime Horizons’ event

The White Ensign Association held a seminar on 21 January at Trinity House.

Entitled ‘New Government, New Maritime Horizons’, the event featured keynote speeches by UK Maritime Minister Mike Kane MP and the First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB, CBE, ADC, JB Rae Smith, President of the UK Chamber of Shipping and Nick Brown, CEO of Lloyd’s Register. After the presentations, Jos Standerwick, Chief Executive of Maritime London  moderated a panel discussion where Nick Brown, JB Rae Smith, and the First Sea Lord were joined by Maritime London Chair and White Ensign Trustee Harry Theochari.

After the discussion, on behalf of Maritime London Harry Theochari signed the Armed Forces Covenant with the First Sea Lord, pledging that Maritime London would uphold its two key principles:

• Members of the Armed Forces Community should not face disadvantages arising from their service in the provision of public and commercial services.
• In some circumstances special provision may be justified, especially for those who have given the most, such as the injured or bereaved.

Harry Theochari said: “As the industry-led body representing the UK’s maritime professional services, Maritime London’s role and vision is to maintain and enhance the UK’s global primacy as the leading provider of such maritime professional services. At a time when the maritime industry faces some of the greatest geopolitical challenges ever, we are hugely grateful and indebted to the pivotal role that the Armed Forces play in ensuring freedom of navigation and in protecting and safeguarding the Nation and its maritime infrastructure and energy assets.

“We are delighted and very honoured to be signing the Armed Forces Covenant. It is a clear message from Maritime London and the market it represents that we recognise and greatly value all that our Armed Forces do and the sacrifices that they make to defend the global rules-based order which we hold so dear. We are fully committed to do all that we can to support our Armed Forces and all of the Armed Forces Community.”