Army vets on march with new party
A VETERAN of the Iranian Embassy siege has formed a political party to fight for the rights of British ex-servicemen.
Former SAS man Robin Horsfall, who also served in the Paras, has joined with other ex-military to create the Democrats and Veterans Party.
Horsfall, who fought in the Falklands War, will be the defence spokesman for the party which launches in London next month. He said: “The political elite known as the government have lost their legitimacy.
“They no longer represent the wishes of British people, they no longer understand how the majority of British people feel.” He also added that politicians were failing the armed forces and claimed that the military no longer supported the government.
The party’s formation comes as it was revealed fellow Iranian siege SAS veteran Bob Curry, 64, is homeless. He is in a B&B in Hereford supported by mates after the council failed to house him. Research shows around 13,000 ex-servicemen and women are homeless, with many battling mental health issues. The new party currently has five board members, including former soldier Gavin Felton who is the chairman.
The party leader is John Rees-Evans, a former member of UKIP, who has previously served in the Territorial Army. Trevor Coult, who won the Military Cross in Iraq, is the veterans’ spokesman and James Dalton is the party treasurer.
Mr Felton, a veteran of the first Gulf War, said: “We are a centrist, direct democracy party. We have listened to the views of thousands of ordinary people who have told us that they no longer have faith in the mainstream political parties.
“They feel let down by the expenses and recent sex scandals. They are angry over the failed wars in Iraq and the lack of support for military personnel in Afghanistan.”
Mr Felton said if there was a snap election tomorrow the new party would field 87 candidates.