Does the Armed Forces Covenant go far enough? Thoughts from Labour and Tory conferences
Earlier this month, I attended both the Labour and Conservative party conferences, and each hosted a similar event on the Armed Forces Covenant, organised by the Royal British Legion.
Both were well attended by politicians at all levels, serving personnel, veterans and those working within defence.
Speakers discussed the ongoing work to promote and strengthen the Covenant and there was a particular focus on what is being done at local government level.
The armed forces covenant is a promise to ensure those who serve or have served in the Armed forces, and their families are treated fairly. It’s aim is to ensure that veterans and serving personnel face no disadvantage and that special consideration is applied in cases where extra support is needed.
Help for Heroes took part in the panel, promoting its recent report Mind the Gaps, which looks at reforming the UK military’s medical discharge process. Barrie Griffiths, a former RAF Regiment officer who was medically discharged following a spinal cord injury, shared his experiences and spoke passionately about the need to do better for those who are medically discharged.
Barrie explained that serving in the RAF had defined his identity and that, following his discharge, it felt as though the rug had been pulled from under him.
He described the lack of proper handover of care, the complicated paperwork and the numerous medical appointments he faced. He spoke about how grateful he was for the support of his family, acknowledging that many others in his position do not have such help.
The panel highlighted that two in five medically discharged veterans felt unprepared to leave service, and one in four were discharged without a mental health referral.
These statistics are unacceptable. If we are serious about caring for veterans, those who are medically discharged must be properly supported. Veterans in this group are more likely to struggle when transitioning to civilian life. Although the Covenant aims to address this, there are still gaps that need to be filled.
One discussion among the panellists focused on whether the Covenant should become a compulsory requirement rather than a voluntary commitment. Should organisations be relied upon to act in good faith and sign up to the Covenant, or should compliance be automatic? There are currently no plans to make it compulsory, but the Covenant already applies automatically to certain public bodies, including local authorities, state-funded schools and NHS organisations.
There is a strong argument for extending this automatic application more widely, as it would help remove barriers for service personnel and veterans. However, simply signing up is not enough – organisations must actively embed the principles of the Covenant into their culture and policies. Making participation compulsory risks creating another administrative duty for employers without ensuring meaningful implementation or genuine commitment.
Supporting the Armed Forces community requires meaningful action, not just recognition. At BBK, we were proud this year to receive the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award. This award reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community, and we will continue to promote the scheme and encourage our partners to do the same.
