Portadown Ulster Unionist councillor Doug Beattie MC has  condemned a decision to exclude representatives from Northern Ireland’s political parties from a General Election debate on the Forces TV channel, as an insult to Northern Ireland veterans who are already some of the most vulnerable in the UK.

Councillor Beattie said:

“Forces TV is a new channel that has launched in the UK. It's an independent news organisation focussed on all aspects of the British Armed Forces. For the General Election, Forces TV will combine with the Royal United Services Institute to host a debate on defence with the UK political parties.

“The Conservatives and Labour will be represented, UKIP and the Greens, the SNP as well as Plaid Cymru. But yet again Northern Ireland is not represented. For what possible reason have the Northern Ireland Parties been omitted from a National debate about the defence of the UK?

“Do our soldiers who have served so loyally and sacrificed so much not deserve a voice? Is it that we in Northern Ireland don't provide towards the collective defence of the UK and therefore our stance on Defence matters are less important than those in England, Scotland or Wales?

“The answer is simple - of course not. We in Northern Ireland provide more reserves per head of population than any other country in the Union. We have served in every major and minor conflict that has involved the British Military in over 300 years. We have been awarded more than 190 Victoria Crosses and many other Gallantry awards in wars past and wars present.

“The Armed Forces is not a devolved issue and therefore decisions about the Armed Forces are not made at Stormont but decided in Westminster. Every political grouping has a say in that collective defence as every nation contributes to that shared endeavour.

“To say Northern Ireland parties will have their own debate makes no sense - because we cannot decide our own Defence issues. They must be negotiated with the rest of the parties in the UK and therefore our unique defence issues must be heard in the same way which the unique defence issues of England, Scotland and Wales must be heard.

“Slowly but surely the Government and government institutions are trying to air brush out the sacrifice and history of the Irish soldier. The Ulsterman is fast becoming a dirty word in establishment corners. They ask for our forces loyalty and sacrifice yet they are not prepared to make us an equal partner in a debate on the Defence of the UK. Without a say how can we influence the National debate?

“As a soldier of 33 years I feel I am being let down by Forces TV and the RUSI. It is deliberate, it is calculated and it is a disgrace to the memory of those men & women and their families who live or serve in Northern Ireland. And it is also shamefully marginalising our veterans who are already some of the most vulnerable in the UK.”