New mayor urged to appoint ‘tsar’ for armed forces
THE new mayor of Greater Manchester has been challenged to appoint an armed forces ‘tsar’ for the region to lobby for better support and services for veterans.
A manifesto written by the Royal British Legion after consultation with exservicemen and women and their families has been presented to candidates standing in May’s mayoral elections.
The document contains five key recommendations directed at the new mayor.
One is the creation of the dedicated role to champion and coordinate services for veterans and serving military personnel, both regular and reservist, with an emphasis on mental heath support and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Estimates suggest 83,000 veterans and their families live in Greater Manchester, and 20 per cent of all armed forces recruits in the country hail from the north west.
The Royal British Legion, however, said ‘significant challenges’ remain in terms of postservice support.
The manifesto damningly alleges a ‘lack of coordination and leadership in planning and implementing support across the region’, leading to ‘disparities’ in the provision of services like housing, healthcare, education and employment advice. The ‘tsar’ would work with all ten councils in Greater Manchester alongside charities, public bodies and military units as an ‘ambassador’ for the armed forces community.
They could help shape future policies and funding under devolution and provide training to frontline public sector staff.
Alison Bunn, the Legion’s area manager for Greater Manchester and Lancashire, called devolution ‘an opportunity not to be missed’ and said the elections in May would bring ‘big changes’.
The manifesto was created by ‘listening to concerns’ voiced by serving soldiers and veterans – and she urged the public to listen to them in turn.
“The armed forces community will continue to provide a huge contribution to the area and they must be appropriately supported as they do so,” she said.
Another key manifesto recommendation is to ensure a ‘clear and consistent’ housing policy across the region for all past members of the armed forces, with correct access to the support and advice they are entitled to.
All Greater Manchester’s mayoral candidates met veterans and were given copies of the manifesto at a launch event in Manchester.
Greater Manchester’s ten councils signed a major agreement in 2014 pledging to put armed forces personnel and veterans at the heart of public services.
The region’s leaders supported the Armed Forces Covenant, a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served are treated fairly. The proposed new role would seek to uphold those vows.