VE Day commemorations

Tonight, like many others across the country, I stood beside a beacon lit in honour of VE Day. Beacons have long been used in Britain as a way of signalling across the land, from warning of invasion to marking great national events. Today, they symbolise unity, remembrance, and resilience.

Standing there, watching the flame flicker against the evening sky, I couldn't help but reflect on how much has changed, and poignantly how much hasn’t. In centuries past, these fires were one of the few ways to send messages across the land. When I served in the military in the early 90s, we were already using radios, encrypted phone lines, and early computer systems—what felt at the time like advanced tools. Now we have satellite communications, drones, real-time video feeds, and global connectivity at the push of a button. But even that now feels like another world, with modern warfare and communication evolving at lightning pace.

And yet, for all our progress, war has not gone away.

While we rightly commemorate the lives lost and the families torn apart during the Second World War, we must also recognise that conflict continues to scar communities across the globe. Tonight's light is bittersweet. It honours our VE Day allies and their sacrifice- but it also serves as a solemn reminder that peace is not guaranteed, and compassion and diplomacy remain more important than ever.

Today, I remember them all.