Military families were grappling with “shameful” living conditions during the week of VE Day commemorations, while Downing Street hosted a high-profile street party, a senior Liberal Democrat MP has claimed.
Helen Maguire, the party’s defence spokeswoman and a former Royal Military Police captain, accused the Government of “hypocrisy” over its treatment of service personnel. She criticised ministers for prioritising public displays of patriotism over taking meaningful steps to improve housing for armed forces families.
The controversy arises as the Ministry of Defence revealed it received 442 urgent repair requests for Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in the week starting 5 May – the early May bank holiday when Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed veterans and dignitaries to Number 10. The Red Arrows soared over Buckingham Palace in tribute to the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, while some service families battled leaking roofs, damp, and broken heating.
Ms Maguire described the situation as a “scandal” and said the scale of disrepair showed just how neglected the armed forces community had become under successive governments.
“For so many military families to be struggling over the 80th anniversary of VE Day – a week when they should have been able to celebrate and feel recognised by the nation for their service – is a scandal,” she told the PA news agency.
“This Government is more than happy to publicly celebrate our service personnel and veterans with a Downing Street party, but won’t take concrete action to fix their homes. That’s the ultimate hypocrisy.”
Figures disclosed in response to a written parliamentary question tabled by Ms Maguire revealed that between January and April this year, 64,258 urgent repairs were made to military accommodation. January 2024 saw the highest number of emergency call-outs, with 5,921 logged, while a further 5,546 were recorded in January 2025.
The figures paint a bleak picture of day-to-day life for service families, many of whom are forced to relocate frequently, often to properties that are cold, mould-ridden or structurally unsound.
“It’s shocking that almost two-thirds of service personnel are still dissatisfied with the standard of maintenance for their housing,” Ms Maguire said.
The Liberal Democrats, alongside Green Party and independent MPs and peers, have called for the extension of the “decent homes standard” to include SFA. This standard – the basic benchmark for what constitutes habitable housing – currently applies to social housing and is set to be extended to the private rental sector under the Renters’ Rights Bill. However, SFA remains excluded.
Ms Maguire said: “We desperately need to bring military housing up to the decent homes standard. Our armed forces deserve more than thanks and parades – they need homes that are safe, warm and fit to live in.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence responded, insisting that reform was under way.
“We’re determined to deliver homes fit for our heroes and, for too long, military families have endured substandard housing. This Government is determined to fix that,” they said.
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They pointed to a Government initiative which is returning military housing to public ownership – a move they claim is saving £600,000 of taxpayers’ money each day. These savings, they say, are being reinvested into the repair and development of better quality housing.
Last month, the Defence Secretary unveiled a new consumer charter designed to raise the standard of service housing. The forthcoming defence housing strategy, expected later this year, will also lay out plans for a “generational renewal” of service family homes across the country.
While campaigners welcome the rhetoric, many remain sceptical about whether real improvements will materialise for families still stuck in inadequate accommodation.
For now, the contrast between a polished Downing Street celebration and broken boilers in barracks remains a stark reminder that not all in uniform are being honoured equally.
