“A reminder of my responsibility to ensure the peace we’ve enjoyed for 80 years continues”: Sir Keir Starmer on VE Day
On 8 May 1945, German armed forces signed an unconditional surrender, bringing the Second World War in Europe to an end. To celebrate the 80th anniversary of VE Day, prime minister Keir Starmer hosted a tea party in Downing Street on 5 May for veterans, schoolchildren, and people with links to the armed forces. Following the event, he spoke to York Membery about why marking the anniversary is so important – and the resonances with the current war in Ukraine
Why does the VE Day anniversary matter to you?
It was an incredible occasion, and a moment for all of us, myself included, to reflect and remember. It was a chance to have conversations with veterans and those who lived through the Second World War, and to learn more about their stories. Every single conversation and every single veteran’s experience is different.
I spoke to a woman who had been outside the gates of Buckingham Palace on VE Day chanting: ‘We want the king!’ and later doing the conga in the street. That gave me a real idea of the sense of jubilation on the day.
Moreover, it’s an opportunity to look back and remind ourselves that our children – my boy is 16 and my girl is 14 – live in peace in a democracy because of the sacrifices of the Second World War generation. My grandfather was in the army during the war, though he was one of those people who never spoke about what he did and where he went, and he died when I was quite young.
Having the Ukrainian contingency there in today’s procession [which took place in London earlier on 5 May, alongside an RAF flypast] was also incredibly powerful. It was [heartwarming] to see the spontaneous applause they received outside Buckingham Palace.
It was also a reminder that, while we’re looking back [after] 80 years and rightly celebrating victory in Europe in 1945, the things we fought for such as freedom and democracy are not to be taken for granted. The importance of VE Day to me personally is wrapped up in all of those elements.
Why does it matter to Britain in 2025?
Firstly, because it’s right that we as a nation should remember the sacrifice people made at the time. And it was a huge, huge sacrifice – many of those fought in the forces never came back.
Secondly, it’s a celebration of 80 years of peace. We had two world wars in a relatively short period, but a number of generations have been the beneficiaries of the peace dividend that followed victory in Europe in 1945.
Thirdly, this anniversary is also a personal reminder of my responsibilities as prime minister for the safety of our country – [which is] the first duty of a prime minister. Moreover, [it’s a reminder of] the responsibility that I have as prime minister to ensure that the peace we’ve enjoyed for 80 years continues for many decades to come. It’s that which drives me, and much of the work I’m doing with Ukraine.
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Do you think it’s right to mark historical anniversaries more broadly?
I think it is, and the further we get [from key historical events such as VE Day], the more important it is to mark them, because most people alive now do not remember them. So by celebrating VE Day and similar historical landmarks, we all better appreciate past sacrifices.
We are an incredible country and there is much to celebrate, whether that’s our remarkable achievements in the Second World War or other big moments in our history.
Do you have any strong views about the teaching of the Second World War in schools today?
Not particularly. My generation learnt about it at school, and it’s hardwired into our memory. But seeing my children learn about the Second World War for the first time has been quite inspiring.
I think it’s also important to try to look at the conflict through the eyes of ordinary men and women who served their country at the time, be it on the frontline or by helping to keep the country going at home.
Do you see any legacies of the Second World War in modern geopolitics?
Yes: at the heart of the war in Ukraine are the values we were fighting for in the Second World War, such as sovereignty, safeguarding hard-won freedoms, and having the right to choose one’s own security arrangements.
So there are huge resonances with the past, and that’s not necessarily a good thing […] For many years after the Berlin Wall came down [in 1989], I genuinely didn’t think I would see tanks rolling over European borders again, let alone invasions and occupations in mainland Europe.
Are we too fixated on the Second World War compared to other parts of Britain’s history?
Not really, because it was such a momentous moment in our story, the stakes were so high, and the outcome played such an important part in shaping the modern world. It's hugely important to keep alive the lessons learned from that conflict, so as to protect our values, defend our freedoms, and avoid repeating the horrors of the past.
Are there any other lessons to be learnt from VE Day?
Yes: it's a reminder of the value of forging alliances with fellow countries sharing broadly similar values to ourselves. We wouldn’t have won the Second World War but for the help of our allies, and besides being a key member of Nato today, we’ve also played a key role in the creation of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF, established in 2014), supporting security and defence across the region.
It's important to recognise [the fact] that Nato has been a cornerstone of peace for the past 80 years and, in many respects, is one of the greatest alliances the world has ever seen. I’m determined to make sure it's not just something we look back on with pride, but that Nato continues to deliver for decades to come.
Lastly, VE Day is a reminder not just of the sacrifices made by veterans, but of the need for us to do more as a country to look after our veterans generally – hence our setting up of Valour, a new UK-wide veteran support system. This will ensure that housing, employment, health and welfare support is available for those who have given so much for their country.
Authors
York Membery is a regular contributor to BBC History Magazine, the Daily Mail and Sunday Times among other publications. York, who lives in London, worked on the Mirror, Express and Times before turning freelance. He studied history at Cardiff University and the Institute of Historical Research, and has a History PhD from Maastricht University.