Tory hopeful Stephen Kerr meets army veterans
Conservative candidate for Stirling Stephen Kerr met a group of Armed Services veterans from across the Stirling area during his General Election campaigning.
The veterans, including General Sir John Macmillan, gathered to demonstrate their support for better policies to help ex-services personnel into work, protect them from vexatious legal challenges and support those wounded during their service.
Mr Kerr discussed the measures in the Conservative manifesto to further support veterans and added:“It was a privilege to meet with these veterans. It is our duty to support all those that served and made such a huge contribution to our country. Many have endured physical and mental wounds and found transition to civilian life difficult. We must ensure they are all supported when their service comes to an end.”
Meanwhile, Clackmannanshire and Dunblane SNP MSP Keith Brown raised the issue of social isolation experienced by veterans and the welfare of armed services personnel during a debate in the Scottish Parliament last week.
Mr Brown, a former Veterans
Minister and Royal Marine, praised the Scottish Government’s attempts to improve veterans’ switch from forces to civilian life.
Currently, 65 per cent of veterans find that exiting the armed forces causes them to feel
“Former armed forces personnel have a wealth of talents that they bring back with them and it is crucial that we are able to ensure that they can transition successfully so they can continue to contribute to society,”he added.