Hastings Tories wouldn’t backed my veterans motion

Hastings Council has backed a call to support the prohibition of nuclear weapons, as well as recognising the harm done to ordinary people, not just in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but also the subsequent suffering of British personnel and Pacific islanders as a result of nuclear tests.

The motion I put to the council was to add yet another town’s voice to a global campaign to dismantle the now many times more powerful nuclear arsenal and divert the billions spent on it to helping mankind deal with vital issues such as pandemics and climate change.

A large part of the motion also called on the government to provide more support for our brave servicemen and women who have suffered in wars since then.

So I was stunned when the leader of the Conservative group, Cllr Rob Lee told the meeting: “I don’t believe this motion is worthy of our time so I won’t speak”.

At the very least Cllr Lee and his colleagues could have agreed with supporting veterans, if not with abolishing nuclear weapons. None of the eight Tory councillors commented on the motion and none of them chose to explain why they voted against it.

I have personally spent a lot of time with British veterans who have served in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan; I know first-hand the issues they encounter after leaving the forces, especially with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

As we approach Remembrance Day, Conservative party members should be ashamed of the dismissive attitude towards veterans shown by their local representatives.

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