Royal British Legion calls for Starmer to fulfil forces covenant pledge

Sir Keir Starmer must strengthen a Government-wide pledge to support veterans by enshrining it in law, the Royal British Legion (RBL) has said.

The leading military charity, responsible for each year’s poppy appeal, has written to the Prime Minister, urging him to fulfil a pledge to place the Armed Forces Covenant in law.

The open letter to the PM comes as the RBL plans to address Labour members at their conference in Liverpool.

The covenant is an informal agreement that people who have served in the military should not be placed at a disadvantage as a result.

But it has “not delivered the meaningful difference it should”, the RBL warned in its letter to the PM.

The charity urged the Government to do three things to ensure the covenant is “truly effective”, as it plans to place it on a statutory footing.

It must be “delivered consistently” with “clear guidance that sets consistent national standards” across the country, the RBL said.

Enough funding to “support delivery” must also be available, it added.

And its impact must be “properly measured” according to the charity, a step “crucial to achieve continued improvement of services and meet the evolving, changing needs of the Armed Forces community”.

Angela Kitching, the RBL’s director of campaigns, policy and research, will address a fringe event at Labour’s conference this weekend.

She said: “It is deeply worrying that serving personnel, veterans and their families are being let down so badly by the country they sacrifice so much for.

“Every day, we see cases of veterans falling through the cracks of the systems meant to support them.

“The Royal British Legion welcomed the Prime Minister’s commitment to extend the Armed Forces Covenant, now we urge him to Keep the Covenant Promise and deliver real change for our Armed Forces community to stop the unfair treatment.”