Jim Robbins

Some conversations never leave you. I for one will never forget being asked by a former member of the Coldstream Guards, in May 2017 on an early-morning walkabout of the city centre during my time as Mayor of Greater Manchester, whether I could justify him being left with no option but to bed down on cardboard and a sleeping bag on the steps of the Royal Exchange Theatre. I said no, I couldn't. But I walked away knowing he was not the only one. People who had been prepared to put their lives on the line for us now sheltering in theatre and shop doorways. I remember feeling chastened. How had my generation of politicians allowed this situation to develop without doing enough to prevent it? Most people leaving the Armed Forces go on to thrive in Civvy Street. They bring skills, discipline and experience that any employer should value. But some struggle with life after service, often through no fault of their own. Conditions caused by their time in the forces, such as PTSD, or the lack of support with the transition from one life to another, can be a root cause of homelessness. Too many are still left to face that struggle alone. When someone who has worn our nation's uniform ends up surviving on the streets, we owe them more than warm words on Remembrance Weekend. At the very least, we owe them a bed every night and support to recover. Everyone should know what help is available and where to find it. If you are a veteran facing homelessness, or know one who is, contact Op FORTITUDE, the UK-wide helpline, on 0800 952 0774 for immediate support. This is one of many government-backed veteran programmes, but I know we must do more. This Remembrance Sunday, as we honour those who have served and sacrificed for us, I want to set a new operating principle for the British state. It is simply this: no one who has served our country should be left to sleep on its streets. As part of my drive to end rough sleeping, I will be writing to councils in England this week to ask them to draw up a specific plan on veteran homelessness. As a start, I will ask them to ensure that any veteran sleeping rough is offered appropriate accommodation before Christmas. For the first time, the money is there to do it. We have provided councils with almost £900 million until the end of this Parliament to help end rough sleeping, including among veterans. We are also allocating nearly £9 million to local veterans' centres across the UK for targeted housing, employment and health support. Nearly all our councils have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. They care about our veterans and are already doing vital work with local charities to support them. Now we must go further and help councils turn that commitment into a roof over every head every night. Our veterans stood by us. We must stand by them. That means a commitment to a supported path away from the streets for everyone who needs one. From this Remembrance Sunday onwards, I want the whole country to honour that simple pledge.

No one who has served our country should be sleeping rough on our streets.