In August 2021 the USA pulled its troops out of Afghanistan, which in turn forced the UK to do the same.

Approximately seventeen thousand Afghan interpreters and other Afghan workers who helped the UK in theatre were evacuated to the UK. One year on and these Afghan immigrants are costing the country £1.2 million a day. Those immigrants that have crossed the English Channel from France cost a further £3.5 million a day.

The upkeep of the Afghan immigrants is fair considering the service they provided to the UK during our presence in Afghanistan. However, how can the current Government and major opposition parties accept these costs to the taxpayer, whilst many Armed Forces Veterans live homeless on the streets, struggle with PTSD, find it difficult to integrate and have no safety net other than charities.

Charities that receive no funding from the public purse. Veterans who have loyally served and put their country first find they are forgotten, their needs ignored, whilst immigrants are given free hotel accommodation, many given special halal food, access to medical services, mental health counselling and even paid mobile phones and a daily living allowance.

The Armed Forces Covenant was introduced to ensure those veterans in need would find the support they need. This, in reality has not come to fruition in a manner that those who need help the most, receive the support they need.

The UK Independence Party fully supports our Armed Forces and its veterans, we believe that veterans need’s come before those of immigrants, legal or otherwise.

The party will do whatever it takes to ensure that homeless veterans are placed into good quality accommodation and given the support they need to integrate proudly into society. Those veterans that have medical or mental needs should be given priority to these essential services.

We as a country owe a debt to those that selflessly served at home and in foreign lands, served to keep our country safe and secure, and we the UK Independence Party will repay that debt. Their loyalty and service demands this.

Sqn Ldr Peter Richardson R’td

UK Independence Party – Spokesman for Defence and Veterans