Article For Folkestone Herald

18 November 2004

What were your thoughts last Sunday morning as we commemorated those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us in wars past and present?

I was unable to be at any of the local services I have attended over the years since I was privileged to lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London on behalf of the Opposition. But on Saturday, after my advice centres, I was able to draw the winning tickets at the raffle organised by Margaret Finch and her band of helpers who had been responsible for selling poppies in Hythe.

Then I went to London for the annual Service of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall. This is always a magnificent occasion, graced this year by the presence of two World War I veterans, aged 108 and 104!

The service at the Cenotaph remains, I think, the most moving of all our regular public ceremonies. The very fact that the ceremonial is unchanging and that everything is done with absolute precision adds to the impact of the event.

As I stood in Whitehall many thoughts flashed through my mind. The heroic sacrifices made by so many on our behalf. The extent to which we are a privileged generation. The many advantages of the monarchy as the Queen represents us all in a way I do not believe any elected President ever could.

But there are responsibilities as well. It is as a result of the sacrifices made by previous generations that we enjoy the democratic rights to vote for our governments. With an election likely within months it is something we would all do well to remember.

One of the ways in which we can show that we appreciate how much we owe to those who came before us is to use our right to vote. That is the best way to ensure that our democracy will thrive and survive for our benefit and for generations to come.