VE Day celebrations are an opportunity to look forward as well as reflect on the past

As the nation falls silent at noon today, it is an opportunity not only to reflect on the past but to take inspiration from the events of 80 years ago and for everyone to recommit to a bright future, which is what the Golden Generation sacrificed so much for.

There are no winners in war but the Golden Generation won everyone the peace. A peace that is readily taken for granted. It’s a peace that is fragile, as recent events have shown, but we must fight to preserve it.

Alongside the silence, this is also a day of celebration. Pubs and bars will be allowed to stay open for longer to mark the anniversary. Churches and cathedrals across the country will ring their bells as a collective act of thanksgiving at 6.30pm, poignantly echoing the sounds that swept across the country in 1945. This will all culminate with a concert at the Horse Guards Parade.

Parliamentarians are right to say that planning for the centenary of the Second World War must start now. As Conservative former minister Andrew Murrison, who previously served as the Prime Minister’s special representative for the centenary of the First World War, pointed out, it sadly won’t be veteran-led.

If planning starts now, the few who do remain will be able to have some input into how the nation can keep memories of their sacrifice alive.

As the lessons that they can teach future generations are far too valuable to allow their stories to fade.

However people choose to mark this special anniversary, everyone must carry the hope of a better future forward with them.