Meeting of the Parliament 08 May 2025
I am honoured to open the debate on behalf of the Scottish Government and to share my reflections on the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe day. Today, we give thanks to every individual who fought and sacrificed to ensure victory over fascism during the second world war.
Presiding Officer, 8 May 1945 was a day of great celebrations across the country and the world as news spread of the allied victory in Europe. The end of the war in Europe brought with it an enormous sense of relief, as memories of bombings and U-boat attacks could finally begin to fade, and hope for the future grew instead—especially for the safe return of family and friends overseas. We must not forget, however, that the fighting continued in Japan and Myanmar. There were another three long months of suffering before the surrender of Japan brought the second world war to its ultimate conclusion.
There are few milestones more significant in our modern history than the one that we celebrate today. Today, we enjoy our freedom thanks to our armed forces, which served during the second world war. During six years of conflict, 380,000 members of the British armed forces lost their lives, as well as more than 67,000 civilians. Memorials to the 57,000 Scottish soldiers who died can be found far and wide, from Albania to Greece and from Hungary to Zimbabwe. For every soldier killed, many broken hearts were left behind to suffer the grief as parents, as children and as friends. I am forever grateful to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for caring for its many cemeteries here at home and abroad, which offer families peaceful moments to come together and pay their respects to loved ones who have been lost.