Labour accused of 'cynical' plot to mislead voters as key campaign pledge snubbed already
EXCLUSIVE - The Tories have blasted the Prime Minister's decision to demote the veterans' job, with the office holder no longer attending Cabinet.
The Conservatives have criticised Sir Keir Starmer after he confirmed he is demoting the role of veterans minister, with the new holder no longer sitting in the Cabinet.
Yesterday evening Sir Keir announced the latest swathe of ministerial appointments, with the junior defence minister job being handed to newly-elected former marine Alistair Carns.
However, the key policy area will now only be represented at Cabinet by the Defence Secretary John Healy, who will have responsibility for veterans affairs as a small part of his much wider portfolio.
The move sparked fury in Tory folds yesterday, with Rishi Sunak pointedly appointing a new shadow cabinet member for veterans’ affairs despite having no like-for-like opposite in the Government.
One of the few newly-elected Conservative MPs, Ben Obese-Jecty, has dived head-first into the row, publishing a stinging piece in the Express accusing Labour of a “cynical” pro-veteran rebrand prior to the election merely to appear more patriotic in the eyes of voters.
He fumes: “The Royal British Legion has already sought reassurances from the government about its support for veterans’ affairs”.
“Eyebrows have been raised across the defence community.”
“It is difficult to see how much value the Defence Secretary will be able to contribute to cabinet given he has little direct oversight of the functions the office performs.”
Shadow veterans minister Andrew Bowie also accused Labour of beginning a retreat over veterans support “on day one”.
He blasted: “Veterans will no longer have a voice fighting for them around the Cabinet table. All our good work will be undone by a Defence Secretary who will be both poacher and gamekeeper.
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“Our veterans put their lives on the line for our freedom, safety and security. We owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Sir Keir is a fair weather friend to our brave veterans and has repaid them with a slap in the face.”
The Government has insisted that they are not abandoning veterans, with a spokesman arguing: "First and foremost the Defence Secretary will represent veterans at Cabinet”.
“Veterans are part of our military family, and the Secretary of State will seek to work with Cabinet colleagues to work for them.
“We are committed to changing how we do government. Stopping silos and working collaboratively across departments to serve the public and veterans.”
It comes amid a row over defence spending with the shadow defence secretary urging the Government to provide "clarity" on when it would increase it to 2.5% of GDP after Sir Keir refused to set a timeline.
James Cartlidge wrote to new Defence Secretary John Healey to ask when spending would be bumped up.
In his letter, Mr Cartlidge said: "Making such a clear commitment is vital for our national security.
"Our armed forces need the certainty and clarity on their funding in order to plan and prepare for the future. It is necessary to prepare everything from accommodation and benefits for service personnel to ensuring that they are equipped with the latest capabilities, equipment and technology."
By Ben Obese-Jecty MP, Former Captain Yorkshire Regiment 2004-12
In 2021, during the nascent stages of Keir Starmer’s Labour Party leadership, a leaked strategy document from a consultancy showed that Labour had been advised to use “the flag, veterans and dressing smartly” as part of a cynical rebranding exercise in order to make the Labour party appear more patriotic in the eyes of voters.
The culmination of that marketing exercise was never more evident than the staging of one Keir Starmer speech during this General Election campaign. A cohort of 14 ex-military Labour candidates were paraded as the backdrop to the Labour leader. Whilst it was difficult to tell whether they had been captured or done so voluntarily the situation felt oddly forced.
Fast forward a month and those same Labour candidates, now Members of Parliament, are conspicuously tight-lipped regarding the decision to demote the role of Minister for Veterans’ Affairs; no longer attending cabinet as Johnny Mercer had under the previous Conservative government.
Indeed the new Defence Secretary John Healey has stated that veterans’ affairs at Cabinet will now be handled directly by himself. However the Office for Veterans’ Affairs sits within the Cabinet Office, not the Ministry of Defence. It is difficult to see how much value the Defence Secretary will be able to contribute to cabinet given he has little direct oversight of the functions the office performs. From a veterans’ perspective the Ministry of Defence covers pensions and little else.
The Royal British Legion has already sought reassurances from the government about its support for veterans’ affairs. Eyebrows have been raised across the defence community.
In my constituency, Huntingdon, veterans are a significant group within the local population. As a constituency with three RAF bases, and having had several other RAF bases locally in the past, it isn’t a surprise that 1 in 9 households have a veteran within them.
As a veteran myself, and now their Member of Parliament, it is crucial that this Labour government is held to account by a robust opposition. On the issue of veterans, we have now seen that Labour are willing to use us for campaigning but push us aside as soon as we have served our purpose.
Whilst in the role and attending cabinet Johnny Mercer made the job his own and gave it a profile it had never before enjoyed. A champion for those who had served, with a direct line to the heart of government, it was key to the deliveries of Op Courage and Op Fortitude, Veterans ID cards and railcards.
It took many years for veterans’ affairs to be made a priority and it is alarming to see it undone by Labour at the first opportunity. We owe a debt to those who have served and need our help now to ensure they have a strong voice in Parliament.
Labour have cast significant doubt upon their commitment to the veterans community within a week of taking office. An inauspicious start to a Labour government that sets a tone which may come to define its relationship with our veterans
