Hansard

Today marks 80 years since the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. After six years of bloodshed and horror, our country awoke to the light of freedom as the dark forces of fascism were vanquished.

The victory announcement was made by Winston Churchill on 8 May 1945 at 3 pm. Following his radio address, the Prime Minister spoke from a Whitehall balcony to huge crowds of people celebrating on the streets below. This is some of what he said:

“God bless you all. This is your victory! It is the victory of the cause of freedom in every land. In all our long history we have never seen a greater day than this ... My dear friends, this is your hour. This is not victory of a party or of any class. It’s a victory of the great British nation as a whole.”

The worldwide death toll from that industrial-scale conflict is difficult to get one’s head around. Up to 85 million military and civilian lives were lost. Tens of thousands of brave Scots went off to war, only to fall in foreign fields. The average age of a Scottish serviceman killed in world war two was just 21. To our generation and the next, who have only ever known peace, the deeds of the greatest generation are almost unfathomable. It has been heartening to see the many events being held across Scotland to mark VE day. It is right and proper that war memorials stand proudly and prominently in communities across the land. Today especially, we remember that they serve as a permanent reminder of that bravery and sacrifice.

Many thousands of Scots were also killed at home as German bombers targeted industrial areas, including Clydebank, Greenock and many other towns. The war touched every family, every town and every workplace. In 1940, when hundreds of thousands of allied soldiers were rescued from the beaches of Dunkirk, tens of thousands were captured. They included my grandfather’s brother, who endured a forced march to a prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. Miraculously, he survived the disease, violence and squalor of the camp to return home to Glasgow after the war ended. During those darkest of times, Britain and our allies stood resolute and defiant. Although victory in Europe was achieved on this day 80 years ago, the war still raged in the far east for another three months.

Today, I am proud to salute the sacrifice, duty and bravery of the greatest generation. They fought and died for our peace and for our freedom, and we all live in their shadow. A famous VE day cartoon shows a wounded and bandaged soldier emerging from a battle-scarred wasteland—in his hand is a scrap of paper with the words,

“Victory and Peace in Europe”,

and the caption beneath reads:

“Here you are! Don’t lose it again!”

Yet, here we are again, with war raging in Europe and elsewhere, and the rise of murderous tyrants across the globe. Today, we must reaffirm our support for the brave people of Ukraine as they fight for the freedoms that we take for granted. We cannot abandon them. The front line between Russia and Ukraine represents a greater global fault line. On one side are our western values of democracy, decency, freedom and humanity, and on the other side are bleak tyranny, oppression and an ugly disregard for human life.

Today, the west must remember and restate what bonded us between 1939 and 1945. I return to the words of Winston Churchill, spoken on this day 80 years ago:

“I say that in the long years to come not only will the people of this island but of the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we’ve done and they will say: ‘Do not despair, do not yield to violence and tyranny, march straightforward and die if need be—unconquered.’”

Those words from history ring true today. We cannot become weary or lose our resolve when faced with Putin’s murderous regime and others. As we remember the fallen of world war two and celebrate VE day, we must recommit to supporting our armed forces. They are not a relic of a bygone age; they are essential to the defence of our islands. Last week, I was privileged to attend the ceremony to install Major General Bob Bruce as governor of Edinburgh castle. Some of the Royal Regiment of Scotland soldiers who took part in the ceremonial event were just days away from being deployed to join our allies on military exercises in eastern Europe.

Recent global events and the volatility of our times mean that we must ensure that our armed forces are properly funded and supported. As we mark VE day, we should support the veterans who have served our country. Recently, it was my privilege to speak with ex-servicemen and ex-servicewomen at the Scottish Veterans Residences centre, and I can assure all members that they will get an equally warm welcome if they pay a visit to the centre, which is just across the road from Holyrood.

I associate my party with the words of the First Minister. Today is a day to remember all that brings us together and the proud history that we share. VE day was the very best of Britain and the very best of the British people.