MP Rayner urges forces veterans to engage in new survey

Ashton and Failsworth MP Angela Rayner is inviting veterans across Oldham and Tameside to take part in a new survey to help build an action plan to ensure they are treated fairly when they leave the Armed Forces.

Labour’s Local Veterans Survey will see MPs and councillors work with veterans, Armed Forces charities and support groups to discover what support veterans and their families need.

It can be completed by visiting: labour.org.uk/veterans

The consultation has been launched after Parliament debated the Armed Forces Bill.

Labour accused the Government of cutting help for veterans and failing on their pledge to put the Armed Forces Covenant - a charter designed to ensure Armed Forces and their families are treated fairly - fully into law.

Ms Rayner, Labour’s Deputy Leader, said: “As a nation we have a responsibility to all of our veterans, that is why Labour is campaigning to put the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law.

"We will speak to veterans across the country about their experiences, and how government can work for them.

“This survey is about listening to and working with our veterans and charities to build a comprehensive plan for veterans to improve support and stop people falling through the gaps.

“We want to make sure that every veteran can move back into civilian life with secure, well paid work, safe affordable housing, exceptional healthcare and mental health support and life-long security for them and their families.

“Labour supports the aims of the Armed Forces Bill, but at present it is a missed opportunity to deliver real improvements to the day-to-day lives of our service personnel, veterans and their families.

"Labour will challenge Ministers to deliver the promises of the Covenant in full for every member of our armed forces, veterans and their families.

“Labour is backing veterans in Parliament by campaigning to put the Armed Forces Covenant fully in law; promoting a new duty of care by the MoD to give veterans better legal and mental health support, campaigning for Commonwealth and Nepali veterans to have visa fees scrapped, opposing 10,000 cuts to Armed Forces numbers introduced by the Tories, proposing better rights to compensation when injured overseas, arguing for a three-year national insurance holiday for companies employing veterans – two more years than the Tories are offering – and campaigning to reduce the waiting time for social housing and to improve the quality of Armed Forces housing stock.”

Ms Rayner has also slammed the Government for breaking their pledge to help personnel, veterans and their families find work after they leave the Armed Forces.

In 2019, the Government announced plans to employ 100 specialist advisers – or ‘Armed Forces Champions’ – in job centres across the country.

But it appears that Ministers now admit that just half that number will be hired.

The change means that there will be just one Armed Forces Champion to support every 14,000 working age veterans into employment.

And a single specialist adviser could be set to cover all job centres across the North West.

There are 5,807 working age working age veterans in Oldham and Tameside.

The unemployment rate for veterans is 7% - almost double level for the general population at 4.8%.

Ministers have faced criticism from Labour and veterans charities that their Armed Forces Bill doesn’t provide any further assistance to Forces personnel, veterans and their families to gain employment.

The Government told its MPs to vote against a Labour amendment to widen the scope of the Bill at Report Stage to include provisions to support veterans into work.

Ms Rayner said: “It is clear that Forces personnel, veterans and their families across Ashton, Droylsden and Failsworth need more support to find work, yet the Government have broken their pledge to provide specialist advice.

"This is yet another example of Ministers failing to match their words with action.”

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