Infantryman Philip Wesley says the PM was happy to send soldiers into battle but has given them nothing back!
A former soldier has launched a stinging attack on David Cameron for failing to support war veterans.
Infantryman Philip Wesley says the PM was “happy” to send soldiers into battle but has given them “nothing back.”
The father-of-one says his life since leaving the Army has been one of food banks, low-paid work, soaring energy bills and expensive housing.
At every turn he has faced difficulties because of the policies of the Conservative-led government , he reveals.
Mr Wesley, 27, served five years in the Army including two tours of Afghanistan.
He had to leave in 2012 to look after his daughter Violet, now three-and-a-half.
On return to his home city of Birmingham, he found it impossible to get a council house for them to live in.
“I was laughed at. I waited two years for social housing.
“In the end the British Legion gave me the money for a deposit so I could rent privately,” he explains.
The problem was the bedroom tax. So many people hit by the bedroom tax had to move out of three-bedroom homes meaning there were not enough two-bed properties available for people such as Philip.
“To be honest with you I was expecting a lot more. I have had help from the British Legion but absolutely nothing from the MoD.
“The main issue for me was housing. I had nowhere to live and I was still at the very bottom of the list.
“There were no two bed homes that were suitable for me. It was crazy.”
His mother who has severe epilepsy has also been hit by the bedroom tax.
Because his house had no central heating he racked up a £700 electricity bill to heat the home for his daughter.
“I was alright, I put on coats but my daughter was cold,” he says matter of factly.
At one point he had to rely on foodbanks to feed his family.
“And that was when I was working,” he said.
“We are supposed to be one of the most developed countries in the world and we have people having to use foodbanks,” he adds in a video made for the Labour Party.
Mr Wesley is now studying for a computing degree at Birmingham Metropolitan University, even though this will cost him £9,000 a year in tuition fees.
While he is full of praise for the support he received from the British Legion, his verdict on Mr Cameron is damning.
“Whenever I hear David Cameron saying anything it makes my blood boil. The only thing David Cameron sees when he looks at the Armed Forces is money and how much it will cost him. It’s just all numbers to him,” he says.
And he says other veterans have experienced similar problems.
“He’s (Cameron) happy to throw us into these wars but we get nothing back. There are people who have done a hell of a lot for their country and I don’t think it’s been rewarded in the slightest,” he says.
In December, Mr Cameron praised the Armed Forces as Britain marked the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
“Everyone in this country is forever in your debt,” he said.
Labour’s Jack Dromey said: “A war hero who fought for his country has been let down by Cameron’s Britain.
“He thought he was returning to a country fit for heroes but at every turn they have made it more difficult for him and his family.
“Labour will abolish the bedroom tax that has hit Philip’s family hard.
“Labour will cut tuition fees by £3,000 so people like Philip can get on and Labour will never let our Armed Forces veteran down in this way.”
The ramblings of a former DWP Civil Servant ... 