A WAR veteran is backing calls for the government to keep its pre-election promise after an MP “insulted” Arctic Convoy heroes.

Eric Alley, 88, from Melcombe Avenue, Weymouth, said comments made by Defence Minister Andrew Rothaban were ‘shocking’ after he compared Second World War heroes to dictators who wear medals they are not entitled to when urged to keep a pledge to honour veterans with a special medal.

Mr Alley said: “Andrew Rothaban said that to get a medal we would have had to have gone through a lot of rigour and risk.

“Well, if being in Arctic Convoy isn’t rigour and risk, I don’t know what is.

“It was a shocking thing to say, especially when the government said they would honour us.

“I was only 18 when I was sent on the convoys.

“It was such a rough time and not pleasant at all.

“More than 3,000 British sailors died on the convoys to keep the Soviet Union supplied during the Second World War.

“When I have been to Russia, I have received medals and so much good will from the people who are very grateful for what we did.

“Yet our own government refuse to give us this acknowledgement.” It has been reported that the Conservative Party promised a dedicated medal for the convoys but David Cameron is arguing the veterans have been recognised previously with the Atlantic Star medal.

But the veterans argue that the Atlantic crossings were a unique campaign separated by 800 miles. There are now only 200 Arctic Convoy veterans surviving who undertook the journey Winston Churchill dubbed “the worst journey in the world”.

Mr Alley made 15 of the two-week Arctic Convoys before becoming a Home Office advisor in the 1980s and asking Douglas Hurd what he was going to do.

He said the then Home Secretary led him to believe a medal would be created and feels former Prime Minister Tony Blair and now David Cameron have also failed to justly reward the veterans.

He said: “When I was invited to Downing Street by Tony Blair, he told me something would be done. That didn’t happen and now the Conservative government aren’t honouring their promise either.