Keir Starmer will not appoint dedicated veterans’ minister sitting in cabinet

The brand new Labour authorities is not going to appoint a devoted veterans’ minister sitting within the cupboard, it has been introduced.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer introduced 19 new ministerial appointments for his cupboard on Tuesday, which met for the primary time on the weekend following Thursday’s landslide common election victory.

No 10 instructed The Unbiased that as an alternative of a separate place, defence secretary John Healey could be representing veterans within the cupboard. No clear indication was given on whether or not a veterans’ minister exterior the highest desk in authorities could be appointed.

The minister for veterans’ affairs – a submit final held by ousted Tory Johnny Mercer – held obligations in authorities together with veterans’ points and Afghan personnel lodging.

Assist For Heroes charity chief government officer, James Needham, instructed The Unbiased he was “disenchanted” there was not a devoted veterans’ minister sitting within the cupboard.

However he added: “We hope John Healey and his workforce will proceed to work with Assist for Heroes and different charities to ship the assist our Armed Forces Neighborhood deserves.

“We’ll proceed to marketing campaign for a evaluation of the medical discharge course of and finish the obstacles to truthful compensation and advantages for veterans.

“We obtain constant testimony from these we assist that these processes are usually not truthful or working correctly, and lots of could be shocked by the best way through which our service individuals and their households are handled.”

Mark Atkinson, director common of the Royal British Legion (RBL), mentioned: “The brand new authorities ought to present by its actions that it’s successfully assembly the wants and bettering the lives of the Armed Forces Neighborhood: serving personnel, veterans, the bereaved and their households.

“We’re happy that the federal government, of their manifesto, dedicated to making use of the Armed Forces Covenant in regulation to each a part of authorities and we look ahead to working with Ministers throughout the vary of departments that serve our neighborhood.

“RBL will search reassurances that any modifications don’t sign a discount in assist or precedence, however that they may end in improved coordination and supply for your entire armed forces neighborhood.”

The dearth of a veterans’ minister sitting in Mr Starmer’s cupboard first got here to mild by a recording of Fred Thomas, the now-elected Plymouth Moor View MP and likewise a veteran, at a hustings occasion earlier than the election.

Requested if there was going to be a veterans’ minister, Mr Thomas, who was contesting in opposition to Mr Mercer for the seat, mentioned: “Let me reply very clearly. No, as a result of it hasn’t helped veterans that a lot.

“So I discuss to veterans, the entire time, I’m one myself, and what’s affecting veterans massively, I believe everyone knows this to be true, there is no such thing as a single problem. It’s the truth that we’re having to pay extra. It’s the truth that individuals can’t get jobs. It’s the actual fact the economic system has tanked.

“So if you exit to work, and also you do your work and also you come again and life is that a lot tougher.

“You recognize you’re struggling to place meals on the desk, lots of people on this metropolis [Plymouth] sadly, that’s not helped by an Workplace of Veteran Affairs, I’m afraid not.

“So what we have to do is take a extra holistic choice, and to reply your query, that’s what we’re going to do. We’re going to take a extra holistic method to this.”

Mr Mercer, a military veteran who has served three excursions in Afghanistan, held the submit of veterans’ minister from 2022 to 2024.

He claimed the position helped ship programmes together with Operation Fortitude, a government-funded hotline which goals to finish homelessness amongst veterans, and Operation Braveness, an NHS psychological well being specialist service.

On X, Mr Mercer wrote: “You’ll notice already that, regardless of his express private guarantees within the election marketing campaign, Keir Starmer has not appointed a veterans minister to his cupboard. For those who perceive what veterans want from their authorities, this issues very a lot.

“These now in energy, paraded round by Starmer for his or her numerous navy experiences, should mark themselves on how they too now really change the lives of those that want them within the serving and veteran neighborhood.”