Armed forces veterans need community champions, says Labour The army is moving towards cutting a fifth of its force. Photograph: South West Images Scotland/Alamy Armed forces veterans must have a champion in every community to help them find work and get medical help, Labour will insist, as the party launches a nationwide campaign to support thousands of former military personnel. In a bid to make Labour the party of the services at a time of severe job and budget cuts, the leadership hopes the initiative will help bridge the gap for soldiers, sailors and air crews who are facing an uncertain future in Civvy Street. Later this month, the army is to launch another tranche of redundancies, seeking up to 5,000 cuts before the end of this year and a further 4,000 next year, as it reduces in size by a fifth to 82,000. The RAF and the Royal Navy have already made thousands of people redundant since the 2010 strategic defence and security review. Jim Murphy, the shadow defence secretary, will set out details of the proposal during a visit on Monday to an area in east London where the British National party has won support, partly because it has targeted former servicemen and women who have struggled to find work. The local council in Barking and Dagenham will announce it is appointing a cabinet member for the armed forces with responsibility for looking after the welfare of ex-military personnel. The veterans' champion should provide a "one-stop shop" for those resettling into a local community. Murphy said: "Our country is brilliant at turning civilians into soldiers, but we are not good enough when the time comes to turning soldiers back into civilians. Transition from military to civilian life can be difficult and distressing. A one-stop shop for access to services and entitlements would make an enormous difference. Veterans' champions would help those who have performed heroics overseas find a new home or job. Each council could take this step in a way that best serves local needs. We want to strengthen the bond between military and civilian communities, making the military covenant a reality for everyone. A few local authorities already have a dedicated veterans' champion, but Labour wants every council to consider employing one. Labour fears that on their return from the frontline, many former service personnel struggle with the transition from military to civilian life, finding it hard to access the services they require. They are also unaware of the benefits available to them. With a point person to go to, former members of the military could find out which charities work in the area, and what support they could rely on - particularly if they are suffering from mental health problems. In Barking and Dagenham, the veterans' champion will be the council leader, Liam Smith. Several other councils around the country are announcing similar plans; they include Carlisle, Plymouth, Slough, Ipswich and Newcastle-under-Lyme in the West Midlands.