We must always remember the sacrifices of our Armed Forces

We remember all those whose courage in the face of unimaginable hardship shaped the world we live in today. Every generation owes a debt to those who fought and fell, and it is our duty to ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten.

As Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport it was a great honour to accompany His Majesty The King to Sunday’s National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London.

To represent the Government and Wigan at the National Service was a privilege and I was honoured to be able to invite Sandra Hannon, veteran of the Women’s Royal Air Force and representative of our Wigan Armed Forces Community HQ at Molyneux House to join me. It was a truly moving and humbling experience.

In Wigan the annual procession from the Town Hall to the War Memorial in All Saints’ Gardens and the service at Wigan Parish Church took place with the former MP for Wigan Neil Turner, laying a wreath on my behalf.

This year we commemorate the 80th anniversary of important turning points in the Second World War including D-Day and other key battles of 1944 such as the Battles of Monte Cassino, Imphal and Kohima.

2024 also marks 25 years since the end of the War in Kosovo and 10 years since UK forces ended combat operations in Afghanistan.

Today our Armed Forces continue to honour the legacy of their predecessors by playing a vital role in protecting British interests and values and upholding security and stability worldwide.

As the nation remembers its fallen, British Forces continue to have a leading role in confronting Russian aggression against Ukraine through coordinating supplies, supporting NATO allies and training Ukrainian troops.

This is in addition to the everyday work our forces do, from peacekeeping and providing humanitarian aid to enforcing anti-terrorism measures and helping to combat the international drug trade.

The Armed Forces Community HQ, which provides excellent support to veterans, their families and carers in Wigan, estimates that the local Armed Forces community in our borough is around 22,000 people.

The Government is committed to strengthening support for our Armed Forces community.

In the run up to Remembrance Day we announced an extra £3.5m for veterans’ homelessness programmes to fund mental health support and help with employment and independent living.

Last week we also introduced legislation into Parliament to establish an Armed Forces Commissioner – an independent champion for serving personnel and their families.

The Government has also pledged to put the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law. The Covenant is a promise by the nation that those who serve or who have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated with fairness and respect.

We are determined to do all that we can to support and show our gratitude to those serving and who have served in our Armed Forces. And for those we have lost, we will remember them always.