UK: escalating number of armed forces heroes taking their lives

News campaign sees results as MPs agree to discuss military veteran suicides

Portsmouth News UK
Danny Johnston TOM COTTERILL
28 March 2019

THE true scale of the UK’s suicide epidemic among its veteran community will be exposed to MPs after campaigners secured a parliamentary debate on the crisis. For months The News has been lobbying the government to do more to address the escalating number of armed forces heroes taking their lives. Viv Johnston, mother of special forces hero Danny Johnston

Daniel Arnold and Stephen James, founders of armed forces support network All Call Signs. Photo: Ian Hargreaves

Now, following our campaign and efforts by military groups from Portsmouth, city MP Stephen Morgan has finally secured an official Westminster debate on the issue. Set to take place on Wednesday afternoon, it will see politicians discussing the crisis and working out how to address it. 

Portsmouth South MP Mr Morgan was ‘pleased’ to have achieved the Westminster hearing, and said: ‘This will be an excellent opportunity to show the government that more needs to be done to protect our serving men and women, and veterans. ‘It is clear ministers are letting down our armed forces personnel by not properly recording veteran suicide and I believe much of the support offered needs drastic improvement.
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