The open letter
To Members of Parliament,
We write as members of the veteran community.
Let me be absolutely clear: we are fed up.
Fed up with being told not to ask questions. Fed up with legitimate concerns about our borders being dismissed as extremism. Fed up with politicians hiding behind prepared statements while ordinary people are left wondering whether those responsible for protecting this country understand the seriousness of what is happening.
In just 10 days, we have seen a 10-year-old child and two women die in the Channel. We have seen record numbers of crossings. We have seen boats reaching our coastline undetected, including the recent speedboat landing in Cornwall. We have seen five men arrested near RAF Fairford amid serious allegations involving terrorism and explosives, before being released on bail. And we have seen deeply troubling questions raised about asylum and citizenship granted to a former Hamas bodyguard accused of plotting attacks in Europe.
These are not trivial matters.
These are national security questions.
Those of us who wore the uniform understand something very simple: ignoring warning signs can cost lives.
Yet we are constantly told the numbers are coming down. We are told everything possible is being done. We are told our concerns are being listened to.
Enough.
The Home Office cannot demand public confidence while failing to answer legitimate questions about who is entering this country, how they are being screened and whether our borders are actually under control.
And talk of creating more legal routes while illegal crossings remain a serious problem will not reassure people who are already questioning whether the system works at all.
This is not an argument against every person who comes to Britain.
It is an argument for proper security, proper screening, proper intelligence and proper border control.
Because it takes only one person to cause unimaginable devastation.
We should not have to wait for another tragedy before politicians take these concerns seriously.
Stop talking down to the public.
Stop treating people as though they are stupid.
And stop dismissing every uncomfortable question as “far right”.
We are British citizens asking our government to do one of its most fundamental jobs:
Keep us safe.
Andy Burnham should understand that better than most. Manchester knows the devastating cost of terrorism. Families have lived with that pain.
So where is the urgency?
Where are the answers?
Where is the determination to make sure those responsible for protecting the public actually have the tools and systems to do it?
Public safety is not a slogan.
National security is not a press release.
And border control cannot simply be another promise to fix things someday.
We can be proud of Britain’s diversity. Many of us served alongside people from across the Commonwealth, including Gurkhas, and we know the strength that comes from people standing together.
But compassion is not complacency.
Wanting secure borders does not make someone racist.
Demanding proper security checks does not make someone an extremist.
And asking whether immigration levels and the capacity of our communities are sustainable does not make someone hateful.
We should be able to have that conversation without being shouted down.
We should be able to question government without being smeared.
And we should be able to demand accountability from those who hold public office.
We don’t want hatred.
We don’t want innocent people targeted.
But we will not accept complacency.
We will not accept being told everything is under control when serious questions remain unanswered.
We will not accept politicians hiding behind statistics while refusing to acknowledge the concerns of the people they represent.
And we will not apologise for demanding that the safety of the British public is treated as a priority.
This goverment may call on us to fight but what on earth are we fighting for ?
We were proud to wear the British flag on our arms.We should never be made to feel ashamed of displaying it on our homes.
A country that becomes too frightened to confront difficult problems eventually pays the price.
So this is not a call for hatred.
It is a call for strength.
Strength to secure our borders.
Strength to enforce our laws.
Strength to protect our communities.
Strength to admit when something is failing.
And strength to put the safety and interests of the British public at the heart of government.
We have waited.
We have listened.
We have been told to trust the system.
We no longer have confidence in empty assurances.
We want answers.
We want action.
And we want it now - not after the next tragedy.
Because government exists to serve the people.
And the people are telling you:
Enough is enough.