The leaders of the five biggest UK political parties have come together to pay tribute to the generation that defeated fascism on VE Day.
Sir Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch, Nigel Farage, Sir Ed Davey and Carla Denyer have all contributed to a series of articles in Metro to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
All five took the opportunity to consider the legacy of the devastating conflict – as well as the brave people who fought in it and contributed to it to protect freedom.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer revealed he never learned what his grandfather saw during his time fighting in the British Army, as he never spoke about it.
On the ‘lion-hearted generation’ that won the war, he wrote: ‘Not only did they sacrifice so much, they often bore their burden in silence.’
The Labour leader added: ‘But this VE Day and every VE Day, we must talk about them.
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‘Because without their bravery, the freedom and joy of today’s celebrations may never have come to pass.’
This year’s 80th VE Day is ‘more than a celebration’, Starmer wrote, ‘it is a moment of national renewal’.
In her own piece to mark the occasion, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch asked the question: ‘Would Britain step up again?’
She wrote: ‘It’s easy to think now that it was inevitable that Britain would fight or would win WWII.
‘Yet so many in Europe and in this country – bearing the scars of the last war – preferred to do a deal with Hitler.’
The Leader of the Opposition said: ‘Churchill’s resolve to fight and stand tall in the face of tyranny is now rightly lionised as the epitome of British virtues.’
Badenoch expressed concern that in ‘so many’ ways, the UK seems less committed to the belief that ‘our values are what made Britain and are worth fighting for’.
Nigel Farage agreed in his article that VE Day offers ‘a good time to reflect on what makes us proud to be British’.
The Reform UK leader said the UK has ‘long been one of the most accepting countries in the world – welcoming those in genuine need’.
He continued: ‘We have opened our doors to Protestants from France, Jews fleeing Russia, Asians expelled from Uganda, countless refugees during World War Two, and more recently, Ukrainians escaping the attacks on home soil.
‘So many of those people have contributed great things to this country and that cannot be overlooked.
‘But there are undoubtedly those who show no appreciation for being here; those who do pose a threat to others and our British identity.’
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey paid tribute to the ‘nation that had bravely stood alone against the Nazis when no one else dared’.
He also wrote about how, in the years that followed VE Day, the UK ‘led the world in building what came next’.
Davey said: ‘Amidst the rubble of war, in the shadow of the Holocaust, and with the looming spectre of nuclear weapons, British leadership offered real hope for the world.
‘And despite all the challenges that have followed – all the trials and tribulations of the past eighty years – there is no doubt that the world has been better for it, as a result of British leadership.’
Carla Denyer, who co-leads the Green Party with Adrian Ramsay, wrote in her article about the importance of recognising the meaning of ‘never again’ in the aftermath of the war and the Holocaust.
She said: ‘Today, governments across the world are restricting the freedoms of their citizens, pursuing aggressive territorial expansion, and exploiting social divisions to consolidate their power.’
Citing examples of crackdowns in Hungary, Russia, and the US, Denyer wrote: ‘Saying ‘never again’ comes with a responsibility to keep our eyes open to what is happening in the world around us.’
Events have been held around the UK this week to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day today.
On Monday, a military procession and flypast took place in central London, while a service of remembrance at Westminster Abbey and a celebratory concert will round off the national commemorations today.
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