80th Anniversary of Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan

Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe Excerpts

Friday 9th May 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe (Lab)]

My Lords, I thank my noble friend for giving us this opportunity to commemorate all those who served in the Second World War and to reflect on the values that they fought for. I compliment him on his powerful and very moving speech, as I do the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Peterborough on his maiden speech.

That devastating conflict will soon pass from living memory. It is absolutely right that, on this 80th anniversary, we recognise Britain’s role in securing the allied victory over Nazism, that we honour the sacrifice of so many and celebrate the legacy of peace that they fought to secure.

The many moving events over the last few days have been an important way of remembering those who lost their lives, but they have also been a celebration of peace. The wonderful Parliament Choir concert on Wednesday night was a powerful and poignant reminder of that in music and memories. All these events have given us the opportunity to revisit and reflect on the international co-operation and unity of purpose that brought about that peace and security.

This could not be more timely. In today’s challenging international environment, where there have been many shifts in political power and balance, and a questioning of long-held alliances, it is all the more important that we stay clear-sighted about the need for international co-operation and indeed our commitment to NATO. Just as we shared 80 years ago, we still share with NATO’s members the common values of individual liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. While we need to be realistic about the size of our Armed Forces and mindful of the changing times in regard to our historic leadership role in Europe, it is still vital that the UK speaks out to remind powerful others of NATO’s values and to promote them whenever we can.

In recognising the contribution of millions of people across the UK and Commonwealth who served in the Second World War, it is also right to recognise that it was not only our Armed Forces who achieved those all-important victories in Europe and Japan 80 years ago. As we honour their sacrifice and reflect on the horrendous human cost of war, I pay tribute to the essential workers who could not fight and to all those who played their part on the home front.

By 1944, a third of the civilian population was engaged in war work, including more than 7 million women. Those women, aged between 18 and 60, had been conscripted since early 1941—either joining the services or working in industry, on the land or on the transport network. By 1944, more than 80,000 Land Girls were working across the country, ensuring that farms kept producing food for an island nation under siege.

Britain’s highly effective mobilisation of civilians was largely due to Ernest Bevin. As Minister of Labour and National Service, he was responsible for manpower resources. Coal was an essential part of keeping the country running, and the so-called Bevin Boys were the 48,000 new military conscripts sent, after a random ballot, straight to the mines instead of to the forces to work long shifts in dangerous conditions, more or less unchanged since the First World War. The Bevin Boys wore no uniform, so were often thought to be avoiding conscription and were mistaken for Army dodgers by the police or public. They were not considered military combatants and so, after the war, received no medals or recognition. Their contribution was only officially recognised by Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1995, followed in 2007 with the award of a veterans badge by the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Bevin was also responsible for the scheme that gave skilled workers in certain occupations exemption from military service. Many men of fighting age were kept at home to continue working in reserved occupations: doctors, police officers, teachers. railway and dock workers, mechanics and civil engineers. The amazing ambulance workers, when others had to flee to the shelters to escape the bombs, headed into them to rescue the wounded.

Many of these men felt that they had been left out of the action and resented not being able to do their bit on the front line, yet these often thankless jobs kept the country going through the disruption of war. We rightly remember them as we commemorate this 80th anniversary.

The collective spirit required to defend ourselves against and defeat Nazism that we are celebrating this week is still needed in today’s challenging times. I applaud the Government’s stance in promoting the importance of NATO and urge them to do everything in our power to keep this central to our long-term relationship with the US and across Europe.