Victory in Europe and Japan: 80th Anniversaries

Debate between Stephanie Peacock and Jo Platt

Thursday 13th March 2025 Commons Chamber

[Stephanie Peacock]

I am incredibly grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the tone of his response. He is absolutely right that VE Day and VJ Day should be etched on our collective memory. I join him in paying tribute to our armed services personnel who are serving today, and I echo his comments on Ukraine. He is right to pay tribute to the sacrifice of British and Commonwealth soldiers and to outline how young people can get involved. It is important that young people can explore their connections and, of course, we want to encourage as many people to get involved as possible. In response to his specific question, we wrote to local government leads on 5 March. I am very happy to meet with them or any Member of the House to discuss our plans further.

[Jo Platt (Leigh and Atherton) (Lab/Co-op)]

I whole- heartedly welcome the Minister’s statement. It will be a true day of national unity. Last week, I presented a long overdue official armed forces badge to 100-year-old veteran Eric Radcliffe. Will the Minister thank Eric for his service, and will she inform the House and my constituents in Leigh and Atherton about what is being done to ensure that the stories and experiences of brave veterans like Eric are not lost to time?

[Stephanie Peacock]

I am sure the whole House will want to join me in thanking and paying tribute to Eric. As I said in my statement, veterans are at the heart of the celebrations. We are working closely with the Royal British Legion to ensure that they are central to the plans, so they can get involved and we can hear their stories.