King’s Speech

Lord Sterling of Plaistow Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Sterling of Plaistow (Con)]

My Lords, as a response to the humble Address, I remind noble Lords of 8 May 1945. My sister and I were around at the time. There was a massive noise outside our house. We lived in London. My sister and I had been given the opportunity of going away but wanted to stay with our parents. My parents came in with a glass of sherry and said, “The war is over. We’re safe”. I remember that so clearly. What I had not realised is that when my parents talked about being safe, we had thought that the Germans were going to take over the whole of Britain at a particular time. We then were told that we were particularly safe because, being Jewish, quite a number of our family finished up in Auschwitz.

What I really want to say is that everybody here realises that today’s discussion is possibly one of the most important we have ever had. It is worth going back a wee bit to the words that we all say every year, and when I went away to military service we all said it then. On 11 November, we all stand to attention and somebody always says, “We will remember them”. To my mind, it is important for us all to remember.

Of course, many people have been slaughtered in many wars. We use the words “just war”, but what is a just war? My personal view is that the war at the moment in Iran is a just war. There is a moment in life when you have to make a decision because, when you go to war, large numbers of people will get hurt, wounded for life or killed. What is happening in trying to get Trump out of this war is, to my mind, totally justified. Ukraine should be supported totally.

On the attack on Iran—some of your Lordships may have seen the news that came through just a few minutes ago—the Iranian regime has totally refused to accept that it cannot have control of their nuclear capability. I know that there is a lot of feeling against President Trump—sadly—and what he is doing, but he is a great believer in trying to save lives. He has said many times that nearly 2,000 young people—Russians and Ukrainians from 17 years of age—are being killed every day that goes by. Somehow or other, that has to stop. In practice, once again, our support on that front is totally important.

I finish by saying that our noble Ministers—the noble Baroness, Lady Chapman, and the noble Lord, Lord Coaker—have heard many speeches today. It is not for me to talk about how they feel, but I would like to hope that they agree with the view that I have expressed: to save life in the ultimate is what we all try to achieve, but sometimes war is justified.