Remembering their sacrifice

Those words, first penned by poet Laurence Binyon a century ago, resonate as strongly today as they did when they were first committed to paper.

Every Armistice Day is important, but today’s is more pertinent than many, marking as it does the day when the guns fell silent in the First World War, which began 100 years ago this year. And, lest we forget, 2014 also marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day, when Allied troops stormed the fortified beaches of Normandy to mark the beginning of the end of the Second World War.

It is a time for sombre reflection on the sacrifices that were made by so many brave troops from across Britain, scores of them from Yorkshire, in the name of freedom and democracy.

Few can comprehend the ordeal of those who served in the trenches or waged battle across Europe, Africa and the Far East. British soldiers continue to make the supreme sacrifice today, notably in Afghanistan, where 453 service personnel gave their lives in the conflict that has just ended.

Perhaps the changed world and its new uncertainties help explain why Armistice Day and the act of remembrance as a whole continue to occupy such a special place in the public consciousness. The renewed struggle against tyranny is a reminder of the lives that were lain down to secure the values this society holds dear.

The nature of that struggle may have changed, the foes may be different, but what is at stake remains fundamentally the same. It would be a betrayal of all those who gave up their lives, their hopes and their dreams to give in to those who would now seek to spark division and fear.

It is a day to pause and remember all the victims of conflict – from the trenches of the Western Front to the deserts of Afghanistan – and give silent thanks for the freedom they paid such a high price to secure.

The EU tangle: Parties seek to woo business

THE difficulty of the position in which David Cameron finds himself over the UK’s membership of the European Union was underlined at the CBI conference.

While public opinion appears to have shifted, perhaps irrevocably, in favour of a retreat from Europe, it is not a sentiment shared by business leaders.

CBI president Sir Michael Rake was at pains to point out that four out of every five of the organisation’s members would vote to stay in the European Union because it was “overwhelmingly” in the UK’s national interest.

The Scottish referendum showed the importance of interventions from leading corporate figures to swing votes. When they voice concerns about jobs and investment, people listen. It is why each of the main parties is so desperate to secure the support of big business heading into next year’s general election.

It is therefore ironic that Labour leader Ed Miliband, whose criticism of banks, energy companies and rail operators has allowed David Cameron to attack him for “business-bashing”, was the leader who was more convincing when it came to speaking the CBI’s language.

Mr Miliband pledged that, as Prime Minister, he would “never risk British businesses, British jobs, British prosperity by playing political games with our membership of the European Union”.

However, what the Labour leader has conspicuously failed to do is to pledge to offer the country a choice on the issue should he enter Downing Street. If Mr Miliband believes the case for remaining in the EU is so convincing, what is he so worried about?

Rather than being pro-business, ducking a referendum merely suggests he does not have full confidence in his ability to persuade voters he is right.

Skilled surgery: Transplant twins in UK first

AMID the hand-wringing over the future of the NHS and the Government’s wide-ranging reforms, it is important to remember that the health service continues to perform modern-day miracles. And many of them are taking place close to home.

Surgeons at St James’s Hospital in Leeds have succeeded in performing the UK’s first ever live liver transplant between identical twins.

Geraldine Rowing can now look forward to a future free of liver disease not only thanks to the generosity of her sister Annemarie Atha, but also the skill of medical professionals.

Such talent and innovation shows why the NHS, despite its troubles, should continue to engender a great deal of pride.