Squabbles before armed forces covenant gets backing

Oldham Council meeting
OLDHAM has pledged its support for its servicemen and women.

The council agreed to ask the borough’s MPs to back proposals to enshrine the armed forces covenant — the nation’s duty of care to personnel — into law.

But the covenant was branded a smokescreen for defence cuts while members were also accused of trying to use the issue to score political points.

Liberal Councillor Mark Alcock proposed the move saying that many personnel died or were injured defending our freedoms.

He added: “We should be looking after these people and their families when they return and also looking after the families of the people who don’t return.

“The coalition government’s plan to enshrine the armed forces covenant in law is not before time and should have been done years ago.

“The last Labour government had 13 years to do something about this and in that time all they did was send our brave forces personnel to an illegal war in Iraq where hundreds died and many more were injured.”

Labour councillors insisted that Defence Secretary Liam Fox must explain exactly how the covenant would benefit armed forces and personnel.

Without that, Councillor Joy Wrigglesworth said the covenant would be a massive smokescreen for the Government’s defence cuts.

But Conservative John Hudson blasted fellow members and said: “I think the people of Oldham would be shocked to think we have to politicise something like this.

“We do not need this political point scoring. Let’s stop all this and get on with showing our support to help the servicemen who deserve it.”