Shame on our Council

Posted By: Ibrar Khan
Date Posted: 08/06/2009

Over the weekend numerous councils across our country marked the 65th anniversary of the D-Day landings by organising special tribute events to remember the brave soldiers who fought for our freedoms on the beaches of Normandy.

In Portsmouth a spectacular public party saw music and dancing from the 1940s; in Woking a street party was organised for D-Day veterans and in Stoke-on-Trent a military re-enactment was organised with a Battle of Britain fly-past. But in Rochdale our council failed to organise any events and have been rightly shamed in the local and regional press by the courage of an 84-year-old local veteran, Cyril Watts.

I am glad this local hero spoke out about our “heartless” council for failing to commemorate D-Day and I am thrilled to see so many people in Rochdale giving Cyril their support. My grandfather fought for Britain in the Second World War and I share in the special pride felt towards those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedoms and stand together to defeat tyranny.

What saddens me most about Rochdale council’s neglect of our brave Normandy veterans is that it plays right into the hands of right wing parties like the BNP.

The bean counters that run our council would do well in future to show some respect to the heroes of our town who helped liberate Europe from the Nazis. They seem to know the price of everything and the value of nothing.