- Lorraine Kelly CBE, Ross Kemp, Lord Richard Dannatt and Antony Cotton MBE are among the high-profile names backing Help for Heroes’ call for a generational shift in veteran support.
- Published today, the open letter says that better support for veterans is an investment in national security and urges the Prime Minister to honour the Armed Forces Covenant.
- Members of the public are also invited to add their names before the letter is presented at 10 Downing Street next month.
Presenter Lorraine Kelly CBE, actor Ross Kemp and former head of the British Army Lord Richard Dannatt are among the high-profile names who have signed Help for Heroes’ open letter calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to lead a generational shift in veteran support.
Actor and campaigner Antony Cotton MBE, SAS veteran and novelist Andy McNab CBE, writer and broadcaster Tom Newton Dunn, and columnist Jane Moore are also among those backing the letter.
The letter, published today, follows the Prime Minister’s commitment that defence is the first responsibility of Government, arguing that investing in veterans is also an investment in national security.
It calls on the Government to honour the Armed Forces Covenant, a promise that no one would be disadvantaged by their service.
Broadcaster Lorraine Kelly CBE. said:
“Our Armed Forces make great sacrifices for our safety, and the least we can do to repay that debt is to ensure they don’t have to fight for the support they need and deserve to live well after service.
How a nation supports its veterans and their families speaks volumes, and I believe we are a nation that passionately values and supports those who have served. This is why I’m proud to back this open letter.”
Coronation Street actor Antony Cotton MBE, who is also an Armed Forces advocate, added:
“I have been proud to use my platform to speak up on behalf of our Armed Forces and veterans throughout my career, and in that time, I have spoken to too many veterans, and their families, who tell me that they still struggle to access the healthcare or compensation that they need to pick up their lives after service. Our Armed Forces are the backbone of our society, and as a nation must do better. I believe we can do better, and this open letter must show our Prime Minister the depth and numbers of that feeling.”
Former Army chief Lord Richard Dannatt said:
“Those who wear the Armed Forces uniform accept unlimited liability in service of their country. We should be equally committed to ensuring they have the support they need when that service ends. We as a nation made a promise that no-one should be disadvantaged as a result of their service, and now is the time for all of us to hold ourselves to that promise.”
The letter forms part of the charity’s campaign, The People’s Promise to Veterans, which aims to build a country where every veteran can live well after service.
Help for Heroes reports a 30 per cent rise in demand for its services over the past year.
James Needham, CEO of Help for Heroes, wrote:
“As a nation, we have made a promise through the Armed Forces Covenant, that no-one would be disadvantaged because they served our nation. Many veterans, particularly those injured while serving, are still denied the quality healthcare, financial security and support they need and deserve. We are failing to deliver on this promise.
We can and must do better. As Prime Minister, you can lead a generational shift in how Government supports our Armed Forces Community – those currently serving, our veterans and their families.”
Members of the public, employers, MPs and the Armed Forces community are being invited to sign the open letter before it is presented to 10 Downing Street next month.
Help for Heroes was launched in 2007 to support those returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan with life-changing injuries and illnesses.
The letter is open and can be signed by members of the public here.
