'Britain must keep its promise': Leeds war hero delivers 70,000-signature plea to Prime Minister
Leeds war hero who survived sniper attack calls on Prime Minister to change support for veterans
A Leeds war hero who was shot in the face by a sniper delivered a letter to the Prime Minister ahead of Remembrance Sunday calling for a generational shift in veteran support.
Simon Brown was part of a delegation from Help for Heroes handing in the open letter addressed to Andy Burnham, which has attracted more than 70,000 signatures since August including military leaders, high profile celebrities and supporters from the public.
The 47-year-old was serving on his second tour of Iraq 20 years ago when he was called to rescue a stranded vehicle with a crew of six on board that was under enemy attack.
During the rescue mission, Mr Brown was shot in the face by a sniper – the bullet entered his left cheek and exited his right.
Placed into an induced coma, he was airlifted back to the UK for life-saving treatment at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. His left eye was destroyed, he has only 20 per cent vision in his right eye, and he lost his nasal cartilage.
Now a Leeds City Councillor, Mr Brown was elected mayor of his hometown of Morley between 2024 and 2025.
He also captained the Leeds Rhinos Physical Disability Rugby League (PDRL) team to double national victory and now coaches young people in the PDRL after hanging up his own boots.
He said: "Britain remembers its veterans every November, but it must keep its promise to them and their families all year round.
“Many veterans, particularly those injured while serving, still struggle to locate and access the quality healthcare, financial security and support they need and deserve.
“As a nation, we have made a promise through the Armed Forces Covenant, that no-one would be disadvantaged because they served our nation. We must do a better job of delivering this promise.
“With the unrest in the world, we must let those who serve know they and their families will be valued.”
Andy Burnham has said the armed forces covenant’s gold standard of employer commitment “should be the norm” and pledged to take it nationwide at a reception for veterans in No 10.
Mr Burnham told those gathered that the armed forces covenant’s gold standard of employer commitment “should be the norm” and discussed his work as Greater Manchester mayor in achieving this with public bodies in the city.
Mr Burnham said: “I’m going to take that commitment national.
“Everywhere should have the gold standard when it comes to supporting people who’ve served our country and have given that level of sacrifice, and we need to renew that determination today.”
The Prime Minister added that it was also a “very firm commitment” that there “should be no veteran homelessness in this country”.