Military families in Rishi Sunak’s constituency have mouldy, pest-plagued homes, official figures reveal
MILITARY families in Rishi Sunak’s constituency are living in damp, mouldy homes, riddled with pests and plagued by shoddy gas and electrical fittings, official figures show.
Catterick Garrison, located in the heart of the PM’s Richmond constituency, has seen over 2,000 maintenance complaints in just two years – including over 400 of damp and mould.
Since April 2022, there were also 255 callouts for pest control problems, 662 for loss of heating and hot water and over 1,000 electrical faults.
Labour – who compiled the official figures – blasted the Tories for continuing to fail our armed forces and their families.
Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey told The Sun: “These new figures for those living in the Prime Ministers backyard expose the shameful extent of this failure, which is getting worse not better.
“The Conservatives have corroded the nation’s moral contract with those who serve.”
He also insisted that a Labour government would renew the nation’s contract with those who serve and legislate for an independent Armed Forces Commissioner to ensure their “homes are fit for heroes.”
Earlier this year, a landmark review found Britain’s shameful military housing is a “sinking ship” that is a ‘tax on the goodwill” of the UK’s armed forces heroes.
Experts from the Kerslake Commission accused the Government of failing to make up for years of underfunding within the Ministry of Defence, which has left huge swathes of forces housing in an appalling state.
A Tory spokesman said: “This is an empty promise from the Labour Party which refuses to match our increase of defence spending to 2.5 per cent by 2030.
“Without more money, how can Labour spend more on armed forces accommodation like we will, let alone the defence of our country?’
“We have invested an extra £4 billion in Armed Forces Housing, and continued the hugely successful Armed Forces Help to Buy Scheme to help 30,000 Armed Forces Families buy a home.”