Antony Cotton delivers 75,000-signature veterans petition to PM
Actor Antony Cotton delivered a petition with more than 75,000 signatures and a letter to the Prime Minister, urging the government to keep its promise to veterans.
How it was covered
- Channel 5 was the only channel found covering it, concentrating on Antony Cotton's petition delivery, Help for Heroes and advice to veterans.
- BBC News, BBC One, BBC Two, Channel 4, GB News, ITV and Sky News: not found in tracked broadcasts.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story. Facts only one channel reported are attributed to it.
Channel 5 News reported that actor Antony Cotton delivered a petition with more than 75,000 signatures, and a letter, to the Prime Minister at Downing Street. The petition urged the government to do more for veterans and keep what campaigners call the people's promise to veterans.
Cotton, known for playing Sean Tully in Coronation Street, told the programme that the cause was his life's work. Channel 5 News reported that he has campaigned on the issue for about 17 years and is a patron of Help for Heroes. He told Channel 5 News that his grandfather served at Dunkirk and that he also had friends in the military.
According to Channel 5 News, Cotton joined other campaigns at Downing Street for the delivery. He said the 75,000-plus signatures showed wide public support for veterans. He pointed to a recent statement by the Prime Minister that defence was the first responsibility, and said the delivery was a reminder to keep the armed forces covenant, which was created so that nobody was disadvantaged because of their service.
Cotton also said remembrance should not be limited to one day. He told Channel 5 News that somebody becomes a veteran every day and that veterans should be the country's number one priority. In a message to veterans who feel forgotten, he urged them to reach out to charities such as Help for Heroes and to speak out. "Silence is a disease, talking is the cure," he said.
The segment did not include a response from the Prime Minister or the government.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, grouped by how many channels reported each one. Select a dot to see the source excerpt.
| Claim |  |
|---|---|
| Only on one channel | |
| Antony Cotton and campaigners delivered a petition with more than 75,000 signatures and a letter to the Prime Minister asking the government to keep its promise to veterans and provide more support. | |
| Antony Cotton is a patron of Help for Heroes and has campaigned on veterans' issues for about 17 years. | |
| Antony Cotton said the Prime Minister had recently described defence as the first responsibility. | |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Channel 5 built the item around a studio interview with Antony Cotton, using his Coronation Street profile to introduce his veterans campaign. It focused on the delivery of the 75,000-plus signature petition and letter to Downing Street, his role as a Help for Heroes patron, and his direct advice to veterans to seek help. The tone was sympathetic and campaign-led, with no government response or scrutiny of the petition's demands.
- “today we delivered a 75,000-plus signature box and a letter to the Prime Minister to remind our government to keep our promise to our veterans.”
- “Silence is a disease, talking is the cure.”
- “our armed forces and especially our veterans are the backbone of our society.”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 17:50 GMT
Antony Cotton, actor Antony Cotton
5 News with Dan Walker · Thu 5 Nov
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.