Published in the Daily Express on 07 April 2025.
I congratulate the Express for its successful campaign on behalf of our war veterans. I also salute the Labour government for finding the necessary funding to ensure those who have served our country in its hour of need can now attend major commemorations later this year to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.
It would have been a terrible injustice if our war veterans had been unable to attend the VE-Day commemorations and other similar events simply because they could not afford to participate in them.
The reality is that for many of our Second World War veterans, now in their late 90s or older, this is likely to be their last significant anniversary of the end of the 1939-45 global conflict.
These brave and noble individuals will have different motivations for wanting to attend such events. Some will want to pay their respects to lost comrades, others will want to enjoy a last day in the spotlight at which their service to their nation is recognised.
For many years now, fines from the Libor interest rate-fixing scandal have supported veterans, attending such events but this funding recently ran out.
This left some veterans unable to attend VE-Day and other commemorations because they simply did not have the money to pay for the necessary accommodation and travel costs involved, sometimes in the presence of relatives or carers who are needed because the veterans are old and frail.
It would be a tragedy if money worries alone deprived these individuals of the opportunity of attending such events, including those planned in London for the 80th anniversary of VE-Day on May 8.
Now the Government has rightly pledged that funding will be found to enable able our veterans to travel to ceremonies across the UK. Furthermore, money will be made available for those wanting to participate in events being held to mark the 80th anniversary of liberation of the Netherlands in May and the 81st anniversary of D-Day in June.
In earlier backing this paper’s campaign and as a former treasurer and former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, I made it clear that supporting our war veterans, along with honouring our war dead, should never be a political issue.
Like Sir Keir Starmer, I have been privileged enough to meet hundreds of war veterans as a result of researching seven books on bravery and in building the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses.
Typically, their valour and sense of duty are matched by a remarkable modesty and humility. I couldn’t be happier that, largely thanks to the Express’s campaign, these are the very individuals who will now be the forefront of the nation’s commemorations next month and later this year.
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