David Cameron’s Broken Promise On Military Covenant
Posted: 3 March 2011
There have been many broken promises by this Government but arguably none so shameful as David Cameron’s decision to go back on his promise to introduce a legally binding military covenant. This would have seen serving soldiers and veterans be given guaranteed priorities in healthcare and housing.
Last week Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs voted to block proposals to enshrine in law the duty of care that the country owes to the people who fight for it. Capping a bad week for our armed forces, it followed shocking news that soldiers had been mistakenly sacked by email and RAF trainee pilots sacked through the newspapers.
Another group who are being treated shabbily by this Government is young people. Latest figures show youth unemployment has reached a record high of one million; that’s one in five 16-24 year olds out of work. Scrapping Labour’s £1billion Future Jobs Fund is one of the worst decisions David Cameron has made. You cannot build a strong economy by cutting the ground from under young people.
We all need encouragement and support to get on and that’s why I’ve decided to sign up to become a mentor to five young people from the Salford Foundation. I know how hard it can be as a young person to stay positive in the face of rejection letters and gloomy headlines. When I was young looking for my first job I had the support of people who believed in me and I want to try and give others that chance.
Salford is soon to forge a very special connection with young people, as it becomes the new home to Blue Peter. As part of the move north the BBC will be relocating its famous Blue Peter garden from London to a rooftop in Salford. Who knows, we might even get Barney the dog to come and live in Eccles.
Like many others, I’m excited at the prospect of all these iconic TV programmes being made in Salford. But I’m less cheered by the constant moaning from the London-centric media who cannot see the point of anything happening outside of the capital. Remember, there’s a British in the BBC. It’s owned by all of us!
Source: Salford Advertiser
