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WATCH: British Army veteran hits out at 'shambles' council after refusing to sign Armed Forces Covenant
Jun 20, 2025
A British Army veteran has told GB News that he feels "degraded" by Bracknell Forest Council, after losing out on emergency accommodation to the Afghan Refugee Scheme.George Ford, who was shot on a tour of Afghanistan, began suffering from severe PTSD and he was eventually forced out of the house where he shared with his long term partner.FULL STORY HERE.
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0:00
Yeah, I'm very good. Obviously, this has been quite, you know, it's hard having to put myself out there as such, you know
0:07
I don't want to be out there like this. And, you know, it's just been a shamble, the whole process
0:14
I found it hard, you know. A couple of years ago, I approached the council and where my life had literally had its last rock bottom and such
0:26
you know I was stabbed in the back and I got resuscitated
0:31
and I said listen this is enough I needed some help and I went to my local authority
0:36
government sorry and I asked for some help and you know I said I really need some help
0:42
and somebody told me about the armed forces covenant so I'd done a bit of digging around it
0:47
and yeah so the lady that was dealing with me at the time she was
0:52
they were nice but they just point blank denied the covenant even being signed
0:58
They said even if we did sign it... Just to clarify, George, my understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant
1:04
is that once you leave the Armed Forces, you are really supposed to get priority housing and mental health care
1:11
And what you seem to be saying is that you not had either of those two things And in fact you can get housing but basically 300 Afghans can Is that right
1:22
Yeah, that's correct. Yeah. And I think it's really important to highlight that there's nothing wrong with us opening our doors to these people
1:30
They were under the rule of thumb of the Taliban and they were being, you know, brutalised under their, you know, horrific acts
1:37
but ultimately we need to prioritize the local residents i mean you can see i'm not the definition
1:45
of a homeless person like i'm not living in a tent you know i'm i've still got a family and
1:49
support around me that love me and care for me but ultimately i need my own place and that
1:54
armed force covenant does it's supposed to recognize that um i've been nothing but
1:59
like transparent these people and i just feel like i'm getting nowhere and you know the fact
2:04
that I'm even on here, it's gut-wrenching, you know, like, it's just making me feel degraded
2:11
But, in fact, these people need to be held accountable. They signed a covenant, you know, like, they want to be out there
2:16
they want to be recognised for doing the right thing socially, but they're not actually doing it
2:21
They're not instilling them qualities and them standards for the veterans, and not just the veterans, you know
2:26
You can go and walk into Bracknell High Street and you see real homeless people that are living in tents cardboard boxes You go and see it Just go and see it by the Bracknell banks the old banks And you see that there not enough being done You got to understand
2:39
that some of these people do need medical intervention with their mental health. And
2:44
you know, like, we all go through ups and downs, but it's just been a rough ride, you
2:49
know. It really has been a rough ride. Exactly. And you were prepared. We're looking at certain pictures on the screen now of you
2:54
in action. And you were prepared, clearly, to put your life on the line for
2:58
this country. You were sent off to fight in a war. And you were injured, weren't you? Could you just
3:04
explain to us a little bit about what happened to you? Yeah, well, obviously
3:08
I was on my second tour. I don't know how I made it through the first tour
3:12
the 2008 tour. That was pretty horrific. You know, we went back. Obviously, I was a lifelong
3:18
soldier. I'd signed up for the whole, you know, service. But unfortunately, I was
3:24
medically discharged due to sustaining a gunshot wound. And it was a high velocity round
3:28
It shattered my femur, ricocheted to the top of my abdomen. And then I was left, you know, with shortening of the leg
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and then that causes, you know, when you're walking, gravity. I carry myself well
3:40
But I just think the support after I mean the army was brilliant It mainly like local government because I did approach them like after I got injured and they tried to put me in a place that just wasn accepted
3:55
It wasn't even wheelchair friendly, I don't think. And I just think it doesn't help
4:02
You know, it suppresses, you know, like, you know, if you want to progress in your life, it suppresses it
4:09
You know, not being able to. And not just that, like, recently, like, they denied to me that they signed the covenant
4:19
And, you know, it's just like, I'm really lost words. It just feels, yeah
4:24
I don't want to be here doing this. I get that. Well, I hope you don't feel embarrassed and everything
4:30
I can understand where you're coming from with that. And I mean, that's certainly the last thing that we would want from you
4:35
I think it's an incredibly brave thing that you're doing to speak out. And one thing I will say as well, George, is that, and this is a depressing fact
4:40
is that there will probably be hundreds or thousands of people watching this now who are in the same position as you
4:45
And it boils my blood that we've got people who are willing to do a job that..
4:50
I mean, I can't even imagine. I get to sit here in a studio every single night and sometimes talk a good game
4:55
I'd be rubbish if I joined the army. I'd be rubbish in those situations, the ones that you ran towards
5:01
And we can't look after you when you come home
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