Proposer: Mick Stott
That this 2025 Congress notes the importance of having a veterans group that organises current and former serving personnel of the armed forces. It is vital for the workers party to support our armed forces and veterans whilst still holding a firm anti war perspective.
Therefore this Congress instructs the NMC and the leadership team to continue to support the veterans group to achieve the following objectives for 2025:
- Recruit serving personnel and Veterans to the Party
- Organise serving personnel and Veterans within the Party
- Attend and organise events in support of service personnel and Veterans
- Raise awareness of Veterans issues through Party media and political lobbying.
Of the 4 bullet points I personally agree with the first 3.
Number 4 Raising awareness, there are over 1800 registered charities already dealing with military vets according to “The British Legion ” I personally don’t think the Party can add anything to what is already in place.
It will dilute party resources.
Ex service personnel within the WPB have the vital experience needed to confront the issues that apply to veterans, those currently serving and those being targeted for enlistment. The current ramping up of armed forces enlistment advertising as ‘the great lifestyle choice for the young’ must be met head on with ‘at what cost to yourself’ and ‘what exactly will you be asked to lay down your life for’. No socialist state can exist without a defence force. But we don’t raise working class children to have them slaughtered at the whim of Washington on yet another regime change operation of billionaire capitalist expansion. Socialist veterans within the WPB are our vital asset in confronting the issues raised by the misuse and abandonment of our brave youth.