A COUNCIL has agreed the UK Government should appoint a minister for armed forces veterans – even though one is in place. 

Labour members of Monmouthshire County Council criticised its Conservative opposition group for bringing the motion that called for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “appoint a dedicated veterans minister within the government”. 

Birmingham MP Alistair Carns, an Afghanistan veteran who achieved the rank of colonel, has been appointed as minister for veterans and people within the Ministry of Defence. 

At the council’s July meeting, Conservative councillor Lisa Dymock, who had put the motion to the council, attempted to clarify the minister should be a member of the cabinet but her bid to change wording, submitted a week in advance, wasn’t accepted. 

Cllr Dymock, who represents Portskewett, who described herself as “the daughter and partner” of veterans, said she was “disappointed” councillors hadn’t recognised “the benefits of a dedicated veterans minister who should sit within the cabinet”. 

Her motion said the appointment would “continue the work of the former Conservative government” and she told councillors “a junior minister is a token effort, a watered down version”. 

Cllr Dymock said it was important the minister “works closely with the defence secretary but with their existing workload they can’t feasibly devote the necessary time to veterans issues, and veterans deserve to be represented at the highest level.” 

Conservative Paul Pavia said it was acknowledged, by the former head of the Army, Lord Richard Dannatt, most responsibilities for veterans are with other government departments and all the Ministry of Defence does is pay their pensions. 

The Chepstow Mount Pleasant member said the motion would “send a clear message to the new Prime Minister he should replicate the position of the previous Conservative government.” 

Ian Chandler, the Green Party member of the council’s Labour cabinet, said “like probably everybody else” they supported a dedicated veterans minister but said “that is what the UK Government is doing” and argued it wasn’t for the council to say whether it should be a UK cabinet post. 

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Cllr Chandler said they “questioned the validity of the motion” while Rogiet Labour member Peter Strong said a Welsh veterans minister would be “much more relevant” as issues such as health and housing are devolved. 

The council passed the motion.