Posted on July 25, 2025

As a veteran, I'm compelled to defend my fellow citizens, challenging a government that seems to forget its fundamental duty to those it serves. This isn't just about veterans; it's about every individual facing hardship in the United Kingdom – from the disabled and unemployed, to the hard-working citizens struggling in the face of a failing economy, which is, ultimately, the government's responsibility.

Before persecuting the average person in the street, before cutting benefits for the vulnerable, this government must first rectify its own systemic failings and address its own shocking lack of accountability.

It’s not just the injustice of being unsupported as a disabled veteran—it’s the systemic rot that allows it to persist. Consider the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the very body meant to provide welfare and support for millions. Staggeringly, its accounts haven't been signed off in over 36 years.

This shocking revelation, as confirmed by the National Audit Office's reports on DWP accountability and regularity of accounts, isn't just oversight; it’s negligence baked into policy. Successive governments have seemingly turned a blind eye to the mismanagement and potential fraud riddling the system. Yet, somehow it's the vulnerable—the disabled, the unemployed, the struggling—who are consistently held up as the problem, facing tightened restrictions and punitive measures, while hard-working families also find themselves trapped by a system failing to deliver basic support in a challenging economy.

A Pattern of Hypocrisy

This pattern of accountability failure, however, extends far beyond the DWP. Consider the House of Lords, meant to be a chamber of scrutiny and expertise. Despite decades of promises, meaningful reform to this unelected body has consistently failed to materialise. Attempts at fundamental reform have stalled repeatedly, with the last major bill in 2012 collapsing due to lack of political will.

What's more, an institution supposedly dedicated to public service allows peers to claim a tax-free daily allowance of £361 for merely "signing in" to confirm their attendance (Source: UK Parliament's House of Lords Members' Financial Support Explanatory Notes, 2024–25). This isn't a salary tied to active work, but a payment for simply showing up. Reports from groups like the Electoral Reform Society have consistently highlighted concerns about this "something-for-nothing" culture.

This hypocrisy is further underscored by the deeply contentious issue of overseas aid. While the UK, like many developed nations, has historically committed to spending a percentage of its Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA)—a target that has fluctuated, currently standing at 0.5%, down from a long-standing 0.7% commitment—the way this money is spent, particularly amidst cuts at home, raises serious questions.

In 2023, the UK spent £15.3 billion on aid (Source: Commons Library, February 2025). Yet, a significant and increasingly controversial portion of this aid is spent within the UK itself. For example, in 2023, around 28% (£4.3 billion) of the total aid budget was allocated to the costs of hosting refugees and asylum seekers in the UK (Source: ICAI / Commons Library, May 2025).

While supporting those seeking refuge is a moral imperative, many argue that classifying these domestic costs as 'overseas development assistance' diverts crucial funds from their intended purpose. As charities like Médecins Sans Frontières have warned, these "aid cuts will cost lives," leading to "catastrophic" impacts globally while essential services at home face unprecedented pressures.

The “Cake and Eat It” Culture

This pattern of accountability failure culminates in the very heart of how our elected representatives operate. MPs, who constantly claim they need a substantial raft of financial support to do their jobs, including expenses for second homes, often seem to want their cake and eat it too—all while the rest of us suffer the consequences of austerity and underfunded services.

From April 1, 2025, the annual basic salary for a Member of Parliament stands at £93,904 (Source: IPSA, 2025). On top of this, MPs can claim significant expenses to cover their parliamentary duties, including costs associated with a second home in either London or their constituency. This covers rent, utilities, and other associated costs, which can amount to tens of thousands of pounds annually for some MPs (Source: IPSA Accommodation Guidance, 2024–25).

The truly galling aspect is that many MPs, despite these generous allowances and a salary well above the national average, also take on lucrative second jobs. Analysis published in April by The Guardian revealed that 236 of our 650 MPs (more than one-third of the House of Commons) declared earnings from employment outside Parliament in the eight months since the general election.

Some of these individuals dedicate substantial hours to their outside work, with several MPs spending an average of eight hours a week on second jobs. The Good Law Project further highlighted that the top 10% of MPs earning outside income are taking home 87% of the total earned outside Parliament, with some bagging over £2 million on top of their salaries since July 2024 alone.

This creates a stark and morally questionable dichotomy: while ordinary citizens struggle with a cost-of-living crisis, the very people responsible for these policies are claiming generous expenses and earning substantial additional incomes.

Time for Action

Welfare reform should be about protecting and empowering citizens, not about slashing budgets to win political skirmishes or appease backbench rebellion. When decisions are made to cut essential lifelines, who truly wins?

Not the 7.5 million people currently relying on Universal Credit (Source: DWP Universal Credit Statistics, January 2025), many of whom, despite working, are still struggling to make ends meet in a stagnant economy. Not the hundreds of thousands of disabled veterans fighting for basic recognition and support. And certainly not the countless working families seeing their living standards erode while inflation bites and the economy stagnates.

These are not mere numbers; they are our neighbours, our friends, our family members, living each day under the shadow of policies designed seemingly without their welfare in mind—while other parts of the system, from unelected Lords to questionable aid allocations, and the very lifestyles of our elected representatives, appear to operate with a vastly different set of rules entirely.

As someone who once swore an oath to serve and protect, I now find myself defending my country in a new way—not with weapons, but with words and a demand for transparency. This is a stand for all of us whom the system has failed.

It is not enough for a government to serve its own purpose. It must serve the people. All of them. It must rectify its own failures, address its own privileges, and put the well-being of all its citizens before its own internal politics and self-serving interests.

But words alone are not enough. It is time for every one of us to re-engage with the political process, to hold our elected representatives accountable. This must be done powerfully, but lawfully, using the democratic tools at our disposal.

Here’s how you can start taking action:

• Write to Your MP: Make your voice heard. Clearly state your concerns about government hypocrisy, specific policies, and the issues raised in this article. Demand answers and action.
• Attend MP Surgeries: Challenge your Member of Parliament face-to-face. Prepare your questions and make them listen to the realities you face.
• Scrutinize Their Votes: Follow how your MP votes on key issues. Websites like TheyWorkForYou.com make this easy. If their votes don't align with your values, call them out.
• Join the Conversation: Share this article. Discuss these issues with your community. The more voices that speak up, the harder we are to ignore.

This is our system, and it is our responsibility to ensure it serves us—not just itself. Your voice, when amplified by action, can drive the change we so desperately need.

Let's make it count.