Wear your poppy with pride... I will
AS we approach Remembrance Sunday, our minds rightly focus on honouring those men and women who have given their lives protecting and defending this great country of ours.
Unfortunately, Covid-19 has impacted many of our elderly veterans and we are all aware that the generation who lived through the Second World War and its aftermath are those that have been most at risk.
Last year the usual remembrance services across Derbyshire Dales were reduced to allow for social distancing during the pandemic. This year, larger numbers will be able to join in public remembrance.
As a Reservist myself in 1995, I helped to steward veterans during the 50th anniversary celebrations of VE Day and sadly fewer are with us today.
With the passing of time, our remembrance of these people should not reduce. I have great respect for The Royal British Legion and all the work they do, to keep the memory of those brave heroes alive, but we too have a role to play in remembrance. I think it is vitally important to hear accounts of friends, family and strangers who fought for our freedoms so that we can remember and honour them.
On my Facebook page in the coming weeks, I will be asking local people to share why Remembrance Sunday is important to them.
I hope they share stories of veterans in their families and experiences of those that lived through the war, in the hopes of raising awareness of this important day and to share in local memories. I am honoured to be a member of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme.
The aim of the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme is to give Members of Parliament, the vast majority of whom have little experience of our Armed Forces, an insight into military life that would not otherwise be available to them.
It is then hoped that they will be able to make a more informed and useful contribution to defence debates in their respective Houses. My first visits have been to the Defence Academy in Shrivenham and to meet new recruits at Birbright.
This has been a fabulous opportunity to talk to our Armed Forces personnel face to face. They are sincere, enthusiastic, and incredibly proud to be serving our country.
The recruits and existing Armed Forces personnel I have met have come from all walks of life and many different parts of the Commonwealth and really do our nation proud.
They are wonderful men and women, and it is a real honour to meet them and learn from them. I recognise the unique burden and pressures felt by our military personnel engaged in active service overseas and I am determined to assist military personnel to whom a vast debt of gratitude is owed.
The Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, which I had the honour of being part of the Bill committee on, addresses the issue of vexatious claims made against our service personnel past and present, and makes the first substantial amendments to the Human Rights Act in primary legislation by limiting the time in which claims can be brought.
It ensures that serving and former armed forces personnel will have more legal protection from the prospect of questionable claims and investigations – despite the vast majority having acted in accordance with the rule of law and often at great personal risk.
So, this year, please do join me in purchasing a poppy from The Royal British Legion and wear it with pride, in remembrance of all those that fought for our freedoms and for those that continue to do so.