Thread by @docrussjackson

Support Britain's veterans.🇬🇧

The UK Govt has ignored MPs' calls for an inquiry into our veterans' benefits system, which involves long waits, high rejection rates, low pay-outs & lengthy appeals, with many pushed into poverty, declining health & suicide.
mirror.co.uk/money/gobsmack…

The Government's attitude to our brave veterans is a national disgrace.🇬🇧

The “Great Tommy Sleep Out” was held in March, where participants braved the cold for one night in support of the approximately 6,000 military veterans experiencing homelessness.

rbli.co.uk/rbli-events/sl…

In 2018, then @UKLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn pledged to end the “scourge” of rough sleeping among armed forces veterans & called on Theresa May to officially register the number of homeless ex-servicemen & women.

independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

In November 2018, Jeremy Corbyn marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the WWI by outlining @UKLabour's “social contract” for veterans, including provisions for free education & treating mental health issues as “seriously as physical health issues”.

In 2020, @UKLabour's Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, said about the Corbyn years that “We went into the (2019) election with a plan to end homelessness, & do that within five years. I was very proud of that."

labourlist.org/2020/11/labour…

During the 2020 interview, John Healey said about ending veteran homelessness:

“It was something [on which] I had the most unfailing support from Jeremy Corbyn as leader – we shared that passion. We had many meetings with homeless charities and people together.”

Riverside, Stoll, Alabaré & Launchpad are the four main providers of supported housing for veterans in the UK. Last year, Director of Operations at Riverside, Lee Buss-Blair, discussed the growing crisis veterans face.

homeless.org.uk/connect/blogs/…

There is a significant risk of collapse of specialist housing for homeless veterans: combat veterans with PTSD "are really bad at seeking help. We are taught in the military that we are different to civilians, dare I say it, better, and that civilians couldn’t do what we do."

While this is "critical for ensuring that a unit can function in high stress situations", "nobody has really considered the long term impact of this. I avoided accessing mainstream mental health services for a good 10 years, using the ‘they wouldn’t understand’ excuse."

Armed forces veterans suffering a mental health crisis can receive specialist care as part of the Op COURAGE service launched by #NHS, where NHS staff will work with military charities to provide therapy, rehab services and, in extreme cases, inpatient care.

However, "over the past few years, veteran supported housing services have lost nearly all government funding. As a result of this we are becoming significantly less able to house veterans with higher needs, addictions, poor mental health, or disability."

But too many veterans don't seek or are not offered help: "In the absence of properly funded veteran supported housing, veterans with significant support needs experiencing homelessness will avoid accessing mainstream homelessness services, & end up on the streets as a result."

Imho, @UKLabour & the Left have some serious thinking to do if they ever want to dislodge the Tories.

One issue where the Left in general has been woeful, is in the hotly contested & emotive areas of #patriotism & #nationalism.

I have a few thoughts:

https://twitter.com/docrussjackson/status/1516338819208990722?s=20&t=-La-0bdaqkUHrVPj3VvKSA