Politicians including the Prime Minister call on the people of Portsmouth to honour Remembrance

Top MPs have thrown their weight behind The News’s ‘Stand Out For Our Heroes’ campaign, which is calling on families to mark the two-minute silence from their doorsteps, balconies and gardens on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day this year.

The effort coincided with the launch of the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal and follows the widespread cancellation of Remembrance events due to the coronavirus crisis.

And now some of Britain’s most senior politicians have joined in the call, with the PM saying: ‘The pandemic will not stop us from honouring the sacrifice and valour of our veterans, the bravest of the brave, the best of what it means to be British.’

Attorney general and Fareham MP Suella Braverman was among other political heavyweights backing the campaign and said it was critical the nation rallied to honour its war heroes – past and present.

Speaking to The News, the mum-of-one said: ‘While we have all confronted this unprecedented crisis with fortitude and courage, it is imperative that our collective suffering is never forgotten.

‘Tragically, in Fareham, our loved ones have lost their lives, businesses have been shaken and the very foundations of our way of life restricted.

‘As we seek to control the virus and prevent further loss, I believe it is important to reflect upon the victims of this pandemic in a display of unity, and therefore I support the two-minute silence initiative.

‘As we stand on our doorsteps, let it be a reminder of the community spirit that has sustained us so well.’

Labour leader Sir Keir also got behind the campaign and said Britain could still ‘honour’ it ‘heroes’.

Shadow armed forces minister and Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan added those who made the ‘ultimate sacrifice for our security’ must never be forgotten.

The Labour MP, whose late grandfather landed on Juno beach during the pivotal invasion of Normandy during the Second World War, said: ‘This year we will not be able to come together on Remembrance Sunday in the same way we would usually, to stand together to remember the millions of people from across the United Kingdom, and from across the world, who gave so much to keep us safe.

‘I urge all the people of Portsmouth to step forward and remember those who have served and those that have fallen.’

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Havant MP Alan Mak urged residents in his constituency to show their military pride and stand on their doorsteps for Remembrance.

‘We must continue to honour the service and sacrifice of our veterans and the Stand for Heroes campaign is a wonderful initiative,’ he added.

Remembrance Sunday will be taking place on November 8. All the traditional parades staged in towns and villages across the Portsmouth area have been cancelled.

Instead, private church services will be broadcast online for people to watch on the day.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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