'I believe that the people of East Kilbride are determined to protect our freedoms and democracy'
East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Joani Reid has paid tribute to the sacrifices made by the wartime generation to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
In an open letter, the Labour politician said Scots should salute the steely determination of the WW2 generation who won victory 80 years ago...
"This year's VE Day is a poignant one. Eighty years on from the defeat of fascism in Europe , it may be one of the last chances we have to honour, in person, those who fought and worked for that immense victory.
"The generation that won the war is slowly passing into history. But in East Kilbride, we will always have cause to remember them —our town was born from their determination to turn victory into a better future.
"In 1945, as at the end of 1914–18 war, East Kilbride was probably better known as a site of a prisoner of war camp than anything else. The West of Scotland was a powerhouse of the British war effort — from those who volunteered to fight or to work the land, to coal miners, munitions workers and shipbuilders. But our town was still little more than a village.
"The conflict was not fought simply over borders or defeating fascism. For millions of working people, it was a fight for a better world. Winning the war was only the start—what came after the guns stopped firing mattered just as much. And the new town of East Kilbride, Scotland's first, was born of that resolve when the post-war Labour government designated it for intensive development in 1947.
"Today we should guard our inheritance of freedom from that time with renewed vigour. Once again, Europe — including Scotland — is being haunted by the spectre of far-right politics and imperialist conquest. These days the demagogues of extremism may wear blue suits instead of brown or black shirts, but many of their messages and methods remain the same.
"Fears are provoked, anxieties stoked. Dirty money is used to manipulate opinion. And the enormous power of social media makes it harder than ever to counter the lies peddled by extremists — whether to justify Russian imperialism or racial hatred.
"I believe that the people of East Kilbride are determined to protect our freedoms and democracy. After all, this is the place that refused to help arm Chilean dictator Pinochet — and we are rightly proud of that.
"But there is no room for complacency. The generation that fought, dug and built between 1939 and 1945 knew all too well what happens when the enemies of liberty go unchallenged. We owe it to them to stay vigilant."
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