The Conservatives are today announcing a raft of measures to support veterans, including a new veterans' bill, extended tax breaks for veterans' employers and cheaper railcards for veterans. If elected, the Conservatives will build on their plan to make the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran.
The men and women who have served our country at home and abroad are heroes. That is why the Conservatives will introduce the UK's first ever Veterans' Bill. It will enshrine veterans' rights, such as ensuring military qualifications have an equal standing with civilians' qualifications in law for the first time. This Bill will confirm the UK as a world leader in support for veterans.
Getting veterans into good jobs is an important element of supporting them. In addition to these bold actions, the Conservatives will extend the National Insurance holiday for veterans' employers. By cutting tax for employers who hire veterans, we will incentivise them to hire even more. The plan is working with the employment rate of veterans has rising from 80 per cent to 89 per cent since 2015, higher than the UK average.
The price of a Veterans Railcard will be cut by almost a third from £30 per year to £21, bringing it in line with the price serving personnel pay for the HM Forces Railcard.
The Conservatives have legislated to protect our veterans against repeated reinvestigations where there is no new and compelling evidence against them, and to end vexatious claims against our armed forces.
Veterans have been willing to put their lives on the line for our freedom, peace and security. They deserve to be treated with respect, live in comfort and with peace of mind. By continuing to build on an impressive record the Conservatives are showing they are standing firmly behind them.
Measures like the National Insurance holiday for veterans' employers, special pensions and compensation benefits, visa fees waivers for our Commonwealth vets, bespoke support for mental and physical health, a wraparound employment service ensuring veterans secure high paid and skilled jobs, as well as tens of millions in funding have been transformational for veterans' quality of life.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“The heroes who have put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms represent the very best of our country.
“That's why we have prioritised making the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran with our clear plan to give them the opportunities, aftercare and support they deserve to live prosperous, fulfilled lives.
“The choice at the election is clear – vote for the Conservatives for a dedicated veterans' minister, veterans' rights enshrined in law and more opportunities for veterans, or Labour who have no plan and would take us back to square one.”
Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer said:
“D-Day is a moment for us to reflect on the historic bravery of those men who fought for us 80 years ago. Their spirit lives on in the millions of veterans who continue their legacy today.
“I am hugely proud of the progress we've made in ensuring the UK is the best place in the world to be a veteran and I am dedicated to making sure we go even further with this clear plan to support vets.
“And we will go further by passing a law to enshrine veterans' rights in law so that all veterans can have the peace of mind that their dedication will be recognised and rewarded throughout their lifetimes.”
For further information, please contact the Press Office on 020 7984 8121 or email us at [email protected].
Our Plan
· We will maintain the Office for Veterans Affairs in its current position in the Cabinet Office, with a dedicated Minister for Veterans Affairs in the Prime Minister's Cabinet and maintain the £10 million operating budget of the Office for Veterans Affairs at £10m throughout the next Parliament.
· We will retain the National Insurance holiday for those who employ veterans, and we will bring forward measures to disregard War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme awards as income from benefits and pensions.
· We will extend the visa fees waiver introduced to cover Commonwealth personnel, to include their direct dependents. We will fully implement the findings of the independent review into Veterans UK and bring forward measures to ensure that public bodies record whether someone has served in the UK's Armed Forces.
· We will cut the cost of the Veterans Railcard so that it costs the same as the HM Forces Personnel railcard. Reducing the cost from £30 per annum to £21.
· We will bring into law the UK's first ever Veterans' Bill, which seeks to enshrine Veterans' rights in law for the first time. This will:
o Criminalise the wearing of medals or decorations that people are not entitled to.
o Create a legal duty to publish a Veterans Strategy and Veteran Strategy Action Plan, with a requirement for the Government to report progress to Parliament.
o Give military qualifications equal standing with civilian qualifications to enable veterans to use their experience to enter highly paid skilled sectors.
o Ensure that veterans receive a full transcript upon leaving the Armed Forces which includes a clear record of the training qualifications that veterans achieved in the military.
o Require Government to appoint a National Veterans Commissioner on statutory footing.
· We will change the law to ensure that Veterans ID cards are valid identification in all future elections
How we will pay for this
· We will maintain the existing £10 million budget of the Office of Veterans' Affairs to ensure our plan is delivered for veterans.
· The reduction in the cost of the Veterans Railcard will be funded within existing DfT budgets.
The alternative
· There was no Cabinet-level Minister for Veterans' Affairs at any point during the last Labour Government.
· Rowing back on Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023
Conservative Party candidates who are veterans
Veteran Conservative Party candidates:
6. David TC Davies
7. Simon Hart
9. David Davis
10. Andrew Bowie
11. Steve Baker
12. Leo Docherty
13. Adam Holloway
14. Andew Selous
15. Darren Henry
16. Jason McCartney
17. Sarah Atherton
18. Jack Lopresti
19. Edward Leigh
20. Bob Seeley
21. Desmond Swayne
22. Julian Lewis
23. Bill Wiggin
24. James Gray
25. Mark Francois
26. Richard Drax
27. Andrew Murrison
28. Stuart Anderson
29. Tobias Ellwood
30. James Sunderland
32. Philip Hollobone
33. Benjamin Obese-Jecty – Army – Huntington
34. Carline Deal – Army – Hove and Portslade
35. Craig Smith – Royal Air force - North West Leicestershire
36. David Reed – Royal Marines Commando - Exmouth and Exeter East
37. Dylan Thomas – Army – Hayes and Harlington
38. James Clark – Army – Great Yarmouth
39. Johno Lee – Army – Nottingham East
40. Lincoln Jopp – Army – Spelthorne
41. Lucy Trimnell – Royal Navy - Frome and East Somerset
42. Matthew Jackman – Army (reserves captain) - Westmorland and Lonsdale
43. Paul Athens – Army – Hazel Grove
44. Sidney Yankson – Army – Southampton Itchen
45. Stuart Anderson – Army - Shropshire South
46. Ed McGuiness – Army – Surrey Heath
