They are backing new Liberal Democrat policy to give the worst paid servicemen and women, who earn less than trainee police officers and firefighters, pay rises worth almost £6,000 a year.
Lembit said: "Every day young men and women are putting their lives on the line, fighting in terrible conditions in Afghanistan.
"What is their reward from the Government? Shockingly poor pay that leaves them on the poverty line and their families back at home hungry."
Mick Bates added "The Liberal Democrats will put a stop to this straight away. We will raise the pay of the lowest paid troops by an extra £6,000 a year. The average basic pay across the ranks of private and lance corporal would rise to around £25,000.
1. New recruits to the police receive £22,680 basic pay. A junior firefighter receives £22,038 basic pay. More than 51,000 members of the Armed Forces (over a quarter) receive less than that. About 13,000 personnel receive £16,681 - the basic pay for the lowest paid private.
2. Under Liberal Democrat proposals a fully trained private would receive an average basic hourly wage of £9.44 (up from the current £6.74 an hour), amounting to £430 a week, a pay rise of £115.
3. The average basic pay across the ranks of private and lance corporal would rise to around £25,000. They will receive an average basic hourly wage of £10.40 an hour, up from the current £8.80 an hour. That is £480 a week, an extra £73 a week.
4. Hunger charity Foodbank has had to help 245 struggling military spouses and children in three years (The Sun, 3 Aug 09). Foodbank's Jeremy Ravn: "It's very distressing to see Forces people in this state. It is heartbreaking."
5. The Liberal Democrat policy will cost between £300 and £400 million - one per cent of the Ministry of Defence's total budget. It will be paid for by reducing the number of civil servants within the MoD where at the moment there is one desk job for every two servicemen.
