Veterans community blasts Keir Starmer for focusing on wrong issues

Only 0.3% of the veterans assemblage is experiencing homelessness according to ONS figures (Image: Getty)

Keir Starmer has vowed to guarantee that each veterans person a "roof implicit their head" by removing barriers to societal housing.

The pledge came during the Prime Minister's keynote code astatine the Labour Party league connected Tuesday wherever helium vowed that veterans, on with young attraction leavers and victims of home abuse, would beryllium exempt from section transportation tests, which astir councils usage to determine who tin suffice for societal housing.

Currently, veterans are exempt for 5 years post-discharge from the equipped forces.

Sir Keir described veterans homelessness arsenic "injustice hiding successful plain sight". Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that lone 0.3 percent of those classed arsenic veterans nether the astir caller census classed themselves arsenic homeless.

He said: “In each municipality and metropolis successful this country. People who were prepared to marque the eventual sacrifice for our nation, who enactment their lives connected the enactment to support america all, but who volition not person a harmless spot to slumber tonight.

Labour mean to region barriers to societal lodging for veterans (Image: Getty)

“We cannot basal by and fto this hap anymore." We volition repay those who served america and location each veterans successful lodging need. Homes volition beryllium determination for heroes."

A Labour spokesperson confirmed to Express.co.uk that the authorities volition contiguous constitute to councils to punctual them they should prioritise veterans. Regulations volition beryllium brought guardant successful owed course.

But the announcement was mocked by former curate for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer who said connected X: "I accidental imitation is the top signifier of flattery…

"By Christmas 2023, not a azygous seasoned was sleeping unsmooth owed to a deficiency of provision, due to the fact that of the astonishing associated enactment of everyone successful the Op Fortitude team."

Op Fortitude, established by Mr Mercer successful 2023, was an £8.5 cardinal money designed to make a wraparound enactment work to enactment 1,300 veterans crossed much than 900 lodging units.

A Labour spokesperson told Express.co.uk: "This argumentation is precise antithetic to Op Fortitude. Op Fortitude is astir providing abstraction to get veterans disconnected the thoroughfare whereas today's announcement is helping them entree societal lodging and getting due homes."

The contented of veterans' homelessness has agelong been a talking constituent amongst politicians but has often been a bony of contention amongst the veterans assemblage who consciousness that the contented is often exaggerated arsenic a effect of antagonistic stereotypes and attempts by politicians to harness the goodwill associated with the assemblage for their ain ends.

A "veteran" is defined arsenic anybody who has served astatine slightest 1 time successful His Majesty's Armed Forces. This explanation means radical who did not implicit basal grooming galore years agone volition beryllium included wrong figures connected "veteran homelessness".

According to figures by the Department of Housing, 2,110 veterans were listed arsenic stateless successful 2023, retired of 2.03 cardinal radical who classed themselves arsenic a seasoned successful the 2021 census.

The vexation amongst the seasoned assemblage is the exaggeration of the nexus betwixt work and homelessness erstwhile the 2 are often unrelated.

One seasoned speaking to the Express.co.uk said: “There is simply a stateless occupation successful this state that is not unsocial to veterans.

Former Veterans' curate Johnny Mercer established Op Fortitude past twelvemonth to assistance stateless veterans (Image: Getty)

“There is truthful overmuch enactment erstwhile you’re leaving and aft you person near the army. Of each the issues affecting veterans, I deliberation homelessness is 1 of the ones that gets dealt with champion already.”

Garrath Williams, who served arsenic a Company Commander successful Afghanistan and is the laminitis of the Veterans assemblage Veterans Can, echoed this. Earlier this year, helium told Express.co.uk that the Office for Veterans’ Affairs should prioritise challenging antagonistic stereotypes that tin beryllium damaging to veterans arsenic they modulation into the civilian world.

He said: "Some veterans are homeless, immoderate are alcoholics, immoderate person intelligence wellness issues.

"It is important to assistance these wherever they occur, but it is important to recognize whether these radical person these issues due to the fact that they served oregon whether they person them and they besides served.”

"I firmly judge that much radical are made by their work than are breached by it.”

Op Fortitude provides wrap-around attraction to veterans successful information of sleeping unsmooth and has been continued by the caller Labour administration.

Those successful request of the work tin telephone connected 0800 952 0774.