Danny Kinahan appointed first Veterans’ Commissioner for Northern Ireland

The former South Antrim UUP MP, who was elected to represent the Ballyclare DEA in May 2019, said: “We have some 150,000 veterans living in Northern Ireland, male and female, who have served their country in the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force.

“We traditionally had - and still have - a larger proportion of our population than any other part of the United Kingdom serving in both the Regular and Reserve Forces. Conflict, sadly, has

continued somewhere in the world virtually every year since the end of the Second World War and the security and safety of our society has been ensured by those that have signed up to serve their country.

“We all too often just remember their service in Afghanistan, Iraq, and our own Troubles, but forget about their work in other fields:  tackling Ebola in Africa, the protection of shipping in the Gulf,  the control and rescue of migrants, as well as the work done by them in African game parks protecting wildlife from poachers. 

“Our Armed Forces are active in numerous countries throughout the world offering advice, help and training, often putting their lives at risk so that we all can enjoy ours.  We should be proud of them and recognise their skills and the sacrifices they and their families have made.  

“We should welcome them back into society when they retire, ensure they are not forgotten are not put at any disadvantage. When they need help it should be there for them immediately. 

“My role as Veterans’ Commissioner is to ensure that this is the case and that coordinated and effective delivery exists for all those who have served. I look forward to ensuring that this is so.”

Confirming that he has resigned from Antrim and Newtownabbey Council, Mr Kinahan added: “I have been incredibly honoured to serve as an Antrim Borough councillor, an elected member of the Assembly for South Antrim, the Member of Parliament for South Antrim and more recently an Alderman in the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.

“I entered politics to try to give back to society a little in return for all that it has given to me. I wanted to help those who need it most, and to strive to make our society one where we all work together to improve everyone’s lives. Those same values will never leave me, and as I enter my new role as NI Veterans’ Commissioner, I will continue to give that same level of commitment and continue from there.

“I am incredibly grateful to all those who have supported me in each election, not just those who voted for me but all those who have helped me assist constituents to resolve whatever problems have arisen. I owe so many a huge thank you.”

Mr Kinahan, who served in the Blues and Royals, continued: “I have built up and enjoyed working with so many wonderful people, in so many ways, in every corner of the constituency and further afield, including representing them in Westminster, and I hope to build on those contacts as I take up my new position. It has been most rewarding and I thank all of you for making it so.”

--

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you.