Remembrance

On Saturday I will be just one of around 80% percent of British people who still observe the Two Minute Silence to commemorate Armistice Day. On Saturday I will be just one of around 80% percent of British people who still observe the Two Minute Silence to commemorate Armistice Day.

Far from being forgotten as time marches on, the Two Minute Silence is as important today as it ever has been.

The evidence suggests that the vast majority of people, including the young, think that the Two Minute Silence is still relevant to them.

Our armed forces are among the finest in the world. But when most people think of the armed forces, they think, on the whole, of past services rendered.

But British troops remain committed in conflicts all over the world and Armistice Day offers a chance to pay tribute to servicemen and women, past and present.

On Saturday it will be my privilege to lay a wreath as the local Member of Parliament on behalf of all our communities during the Armistice Day service in Witham.

But, for me, an act of remembrance means more than remembering those who have given their lives for their country.

It means remembering those who have returned from conflicts around the globe with physical and psychological scars. They deserve the very best medical care.

It means remembering ex-servicemen who have given their best for their country but need to be given more assistance with retraining and employment in return.

It means remembering those who are on active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world.

But, above all, as we pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for us "we will remember them".

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the work of the Royal British Legion who do so much both to help our veterans and to remind us all of our own obligations to them.