On behalf of a proud and grateful nation: thank you for your service, says Starmer
The whole nation is inspired by the selfless dedication of your example, Sir Keir Starmer has said in an open letter to veterans and serving personnel.
The Prime Minister penned the letter at the start of four days of commemoration ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe on Thursday.
Sir Keir said he knew service came with sacrifice, but pointed out how VE Day marked a victory for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil.
"To our veterans,
"As we approach the VE Day anniversary, I want to salute your ongoing dedication to keeping our country safe.
"This week, we celebrate the greatest victory our Armed Forces ever secured.
"And like so many families across the country, my relatives served and fought in the Second World War. Therefore, it is the highest honour of my role to meet veterans of that conflict.
"I think of people like Stanley Fisher and Mervyn Kersch, two Jewish veterans of the Normandy landings, who went on to become eyewitnesses to the horrors of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp in the early days of its liberation by British forces.
"Their stories – and countless others we will hear this week – are a reminder that our victory was not just for Britain.
"It was also a victory for good against the assembled forces of hatred, tyranny and evil. VE Day is a chance to acknowledge, again, that our debt to those who achieved it can never fully be repaid.
"Yet as the nation falls silent on Thursday, I know that my mind will also turn to those who carry the torch of their legacy in our Armed Forces today – people like you.
"As time marches on, we all have a responsibility to renew the bonds of our history so that future generations inherit our national story as their own.
"But alongside our history and our values, service is the other great force that binds a nation together. So this week, I want you to know: the whole nation is inspired by the selfless dedication of your example.
"It is not just that you keep us all safe. It is also that you represent the best of who we are. A living link of service that unites the values we must stand for in the present, with the stories we must pass down from our past.
"Furthermore, I know that this is not without sacrifice. I will always remember the conversation I had with a submariner in Faslane, who brought home exactly what over 200 days a year underwater means for the simple things most families take for granted.
"Missing birthdays, weddings, anniversaries. Not being there in the photographs.
"From the Carrier Strike Group at sea, to our postings in Estonia, Cyprus and here in the UK, every serviceman and woman I have met has had a version of this story.
"And I recognise that this too is a debt that can never fully be repaid. But this week, the country will show you just how thankful we all are.
"Because we know, that without your service, the freedom, peace and joy that these celebrations embody, would not be possible.
“So, wherever you are, wherever you serve, have a wonderful VE Day. And on behalf of a proud and grateful nation: thank you for your service.”
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
