The number one priority of any government is to keep its citizens safe. That also means looking after those in our armed forces who put their lives on the line to maintain that safety and honouring those who make the ultimate sacrifice in service to our great country.
Over the weekend it was a great honour and privilege to represent Parliament and the Government for the first time as your MP at Remembrance Sunday commemorations in Whitehaven and Workington.
For me it was the culmination of a week of events to recognise and remember west Cumbrians and those across Britain who fought and died for our country – and those veterans still living who need our support.
I planted a poppy cross in the Garden of Remembrance outside Parliament to recognise our Whitehaven and Workington heroes, noting in particular all those miners from our area who went from the pits to the frontline in service of the nation.
I also took part in the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Ride in Parliament, although sadly I didn’t come top of the leaderboard!
And I joined volunteers from the Legion and local cadets to collect donations in Morrisons. RBL branches locally do such a fantastic job of supporting our veterans and I’d like to put on record my thanks to them for their work all year round, but especially their outstanding efforts for the Poppy Appeal this year.
But we can’t leave it all to charities, the government has an important role to play in supporting our troops and veterans. And the Government took several positive steps this week to right the wrongs of recent years.
First, the Bill to create the UK’s first Armed Forces Commissioner was tabled in Parliament. The Commissioner will be the first independent advocate dedicated to supportive serving personnel and their families and I’ll proudly support its passage through Parliament.
Second, the Government announced new support for our veterans. It is a travesty that under the Tories people who fought for our country were sleeping on the streets. We’re determined to right that wrong and we’ve put an extra £3.5 million into the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, which provides wraparound specialist support for employment and independent living for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This programme was set to end next year under the Tories, we are extending it to 2026.
This is in addition to our commitment to exempt veterans from rules which require a connection to a local area to access social housing in England, as part of the Government’s “homes for heroes” pledge.
This is a Government committed to delivering for all those who serve and have served. As your MP I will ensure our veterans get the support they need and deserve, not just at Remembrance but year-round.
Josh MacAlister MP 