We’ve had a couple of weeks celebrating national pride and patriotism, with St. George’s Day recently followed by the 80th anniversary of VE Day this week.
I was honoured to invite a local hero to Downing Street for a reception hosted by the Prime Minister on St. George’s Day. For me, it is a day for recognising and celebrating the people who make England such a great nation. I tried to pick wisely by asking Cleator Moor’s own ‘Marathon Man’, Gary McKee. Gary has done and continues to do so much for West Cumbria and charities like Macmillan and Hospice at Home West Cumbria. It was the least I could do to thank him for his efforts.
We’re in the middle of a week of VE Day celebrations. I’ve been bowled away by the huge number of events being put on in towns and villages across our area. From street parties to evenings of singing and dancing, to quiet memorials and beacon lighting ceremonies. In addition to attending events in Parliament this week it will be my great privilege to attend events in West Cumbria as your MP, representing Parliament and the Government.
I’d like to put on record my thanks to all of the Royal British Legion branches, town and parish councils and other groups involved in organising these events. Your work ensures the memory of those who fought and died for our country lives on in the minds of future generations.
Millions sacrificed their lives for the freedom, rights and democracy we enjoy today. Those things, which I think far too many people now take for granted, are under threat from within and from external forces. We must protect them – for everyone – while also recognising that we are in a new era, and renewal is needed so that our same values can be applied in a world that is changing.
I welcome the government’s commitment to political and constitutional reform. Too many people are locked out of or not engaging in the democratic process. We need a thriving democracy in which everyone feels like they have a stake if our democracy is to survive and faith is to be restored in politics and government. I am given so much hope about the future when I am lucky enough to hear from children when I visit schools in our area. Just last Friday, I was talking with a group of 13 year olds about what Britain will look like in 2030, what the biggest challenge facing the country is and what our area’s greatest opportunities are.
The 80th anniversary of VE Day is a special moment to mark the enduring values we fought for, reflect on the freedoms that were secured through sacrifice, and to join together to think hard about the kind of country we want to keep building for the future.
Josh MacAlister MP 