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Louise Thomas
Editor
The new Labour government will not appoint a dedicated veterans’ minister sitting in the cabinet, it has been announced.
Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer announced 19 new ministerial appointments for his cabinet on Tuesday, which met for the first time at the weekend following Thursday’s landslide general election victory.
No 10 told The Independent that instead of a separate position, defence secretary John Healey would be representing veterans in the cabinet.
It’s understood that Downing Street will appoint a veterans’ minister outside the top table in government to run the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, but with oversight from Mr Healey.
The minister for veterans’ affairs – a post last held by ousted Tory Johnny Mercer – held responsibilities in government including veterans’ issues and Afghan personnel accommodation.
Help For Heroes charity chief executive officer, James Needham, told The Independent he was “disappointed” there was not a dedicated veterans’ minister sitting in the cabinet.
But he added: “We hope John Healey and his team will continue to work with Help for Heroes and other charities to deliver the support our Armed Forces Community deserves.
“We will continue to campaign for a review of the medical discharge process and end the barriers to fair compensation and benefits for veterans.
“We receive consistent testimony from those we support that these processes are not fair or working properly, and many would be shocked by the way in which our service people and their families are treated.”
Mark Atkinson, director general of the Royal British Legion (RBL), said: “The new government should show by its actions that it is effectively meeting the needs and improving the lives of the Armed Forces Community: serving personnel, veterans, the bereaved and their families.
“We are pleased that the government, in their manifesto, committed to applying the Armed Forces Covenant in law to every part of government and we look forward to working with Ministers across the range of departments that serve our community.
“RBL will seek reassurances that any changes do not signal a reduction in support or priority, but that they will result in improved coordination and delivery for the entire armed forces community.”
The lack of a veterans’ minister sitting in Mr Starmer’s cabinet first came to light through a recording of Fred Thomas, the now-elected Plymouth Moor View MP and also a veteran, at a hustings event before the election.
Asked if there was going to be a veterans’ minister, Mr Thomas, who was contesting against Mr Mercer for the seat, said: “Let me answer very clearly. No, because it hasn’t helped veterans that much.
“So I talk to veterans, the whole time, I am one myself, and what is affecting veterans massively, I think we all know this to be true, there is no single issue. It’s the fact that we’re having to pay more. It’s the fact that people can’t get jobs. It’s the fact the economy has tanked.
“So when you go out to work, and you do your work and you come back and life is that much harder.
“You know you’re struggling to put food on the table, a lot of people in this city [Plymouth] unfortunately, that is not helped by an Office of Veteran Affairs, I’m afraid not.
“So what we need to do is take a more holistic option, and to answer your question, that is what we’re going to do. We’re going to take a more holistic approach to this.”
Mr Mercer, an army veteran who has served three tours in Afghanistan, held the post of veterans’ minister from 2022 to 2024.
He claimed the role helped deliver programmes including Operation Fortitude, a government-funded hotline which aims to end homelessness among veterans, and Operation Courage, an NHS mental health specialist service.
On X, Mr Mercer wrote: “You will note already that, despite his explicit personal promises in the election campaign, Keir Starmer has not appointed a veterans minister to his cabinet. If you understand what veterans need from their government, this matters very much.
“Those now in power, paraded around by Starmer for their various military experiences, must mark themselves on how they too now actually change the lives of those who need them in the serving and veteran community.”
