Remembrance Speech 2025

Last week in Parliament, I reflected on Remembrance as a time of unity locally and nationally, highlighting the stories of service present in our community.

I reflected on Remembrance services where Royal Air Force cadets from 12F and 241 squadrons, Army cadets from 30 music detachment of Waltham Forest, Scouts, local families, people of all faiths, our councillors and fellow veterans came together.

I highlighted the stories of service from four servicemen in our community, spanning four generations of post-war service: Alan, Peter, Chris and Orlando. I brought them together to meet one another because each represented a chapter in our nation’s post-war story of service.

Alan Sealy was in the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire, serving in the 1960s in Aden. Peter Barnett was in the 7th Parachute Regiment, the Royal Horse Artillery, and served in Germany and central America in the 1970s. Chris Nije was a royal marine in 42 Commando, and served in the middle east, Germany and Northern Ireland in the 1990s. Orlando Asumang is an RAF cadet starting on his journey to fulfil his dream of becoming a pilot, as I once did.

You can find my full speech here: Remembrance Day: Armed Forces - Hansard - UK Parliament