MoS victory as Cameron steps in to save memorial to Battle of Britain aces
DAVID CAMERON has vowed to save the chapel dedicated to heroic Battle of Britain pilots after a public outcry over its threatened closure.
The Mail on Sunday revealed last week how St George’s Chapel of Remembrance for ‘the Few’ faced the axe after Defence Minister Anna Soubry judged that its £50,000-ayear running costs were an ‘inappropriate use of defence resources’.
But in a dramatic move last week, the Prime Minister pledged to do ‘whatever it takes’ to save the chapel at Biggin Hill, Kent, after a furious backlash from Mail on Sunday readers and campaigners.
Built on the site of the former RAF station – which played a key role in the 1940 battle to repel Hitler’s Luftwaffe – the chapel has stood since 1951 as a memorial all the British airmen who died during the Second World War. The local airport of Biggin Hill offered to make up the funding shortfall following our report, but Mr Cameron’s announcement now means the Ministry of Defence will maintain ownership and provide public money for the site.
‘I can absolutely confirm to the House that the chapel will be preserved for future generations, as we have always recognised its importance and its rich heritage,’ he said at Prime Minister’s Questions.
He added: ‘I think it’s possible that of all the great moments in British history, the Battle of Britain stands out as one of the most important times that there have been.
‘We will protect the chapel and will do all that we can to protect it for future generations.’
His intervention followed an online petition to save the church which gained more than 28,000 signatures. Campaigners also took to Twitter to express their anger at Ms Soubry.
In an embarrassing turnaround last Sunday, Ms Soubry retreated from her previous stance, telling one complainant: ‘It doesn’t mean the chapel must close. I’m working hard to save it.’
On Monday she tweeted that there would be a meeting about the chapel’s future, and a day later she met local Tory MP Jo Johnson, when she again expressed her support for its ‘continued preservation’.
The Prime Minister’s announcement was welcomed by Mr Johnson, who has championed the campaign to keep the historic monument open. He described the U-turn as a ‘triumph’ for the public.
‘We’re in a very good place and the security of the chapel is secured,’ he said. ‘It’s a great triumph to keep the chapel open, and one The Mail on Sunday has played a huge part in.’
TV presenter and local resident Jan Leeming was also pleased with the about-turn, but she criticised the MoD for the ‘lack of thought’ shown in its initial decision.
‘I welcome Mr Cameron’s promise and hope he keeps his word,’ she said. ‘Apart from anything else, the chapel is iconic – a place of peace, beauty and remembrance. Although a modern building, it has an aura of spirituality usually associated with ancient churches.’
In a statement released on Thursday, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: ‘We have been in discussions with Bromley Council for 18 months and we are pleased that the council wants to create a heritage centre on the site. Subject to agreeing suitable terms to secure the future of the chapel, the garden of remembrance and the car park, we will lease the site on a long-term basis to the council for a token rent.’
Approved by Sir Winston Churchill as a ‘permanent’ shrine to ‘the Few’ of the Second World War, St George’s was originally built to replace a military chapel destroyed by a fire in 1946. It is expected to welcome 25,000 visitors this year as it commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.
The chapel was also threatened with closure in 1989, when the airfield was closed as an operational RAF base, but it was later saved because of its historical significance.
DAVID CAMERON’S swift decision to continue taxpayer funding of the Battle of Britain memorial chapel at Biggin Hill is refreshing and praiseworthy.
Politicians do not admit their mistakes often enough, and this was a total climbdown. It was largely thanks to The Mail on Sunday, which last week reported on the MoD’s plan to stop supporting the chapel. The astonishing thing is that an intelligent Minister such as Anna Soubry should ever have thought otherwise. Once again, we have an illustration of the need for a free, critical press.
Without powerful independent voices outside government, politicians can become prisoners of bureaucracy and bad advice.
It would be hard to find a better example of this problem, and of its solution.