Victory in Europe and Victory over Japan: 80th Anniversary

Elaine Stewart Excerpts

Tuesday 6th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[Elaine Stewart (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (Lab)]

On VE Day, Captain Harry Richardson of the RAF, from Ochiltree in Ayrshire, was half a world away. VE Day did not mean the end of all conflict. The war with Japan continued, and despite extensive service in Europe, Captain Richardson was still on active duty in India as a bomber pilot. While the country celebrated, Captain Richardson and many others fought on to keep the peace. He flew 62 bombing missions over Germany, Europe, Burma and Malaysia until 1947, when Japan surrendered. Leaving the RAF as a flight lieutenant, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the war Star, the Air Crew Europe medal, the Burma Star and the Defence medal.

This year, Captain Richardson celebrated his 107th birthday and will travel to London for the VE Day commemorations. Not all veterans reach 107, so it is also important to pay tribute to those who have fallen. This week I will visit “Untold Stories”, an exhibition at Girvan library, where Richard and Loran Conaghan of the Girvan and District Great War Project present local stories from the war, aiming to inspire our younger generation.

One story is of Corporal Norman Nicholson Campbell. He joined the Pioneer Corps, leaving behind his wife Mary and four-year-old son Malcolm. In Dunkirk, 1940, Norman was taken as a prisoner of war to Stalag VIIIB in Lamsdorf, Poland. By August 1940, his wife had passed away from cancer, and eight months later, his son died. Corporal Campbell died of a cardiac arrest in 1943, two years before VE Day, and was laid to rest in Krakow in 1948. This story is a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by so many and their loved ones during the war. As we celebrate VE Day 80 years on, it is right to remember everyone who made that possible. We thank them.

Oral Answers to Questions

Elaine Stewart Excerpts

Thursday 17th October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Jim Dickson (Dartford) (Lab)]

9. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the harmful effects of gambling.

[Elaine Stewart (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (Lab)]

11. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle the harmful effects of gambling.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lisa Nandy]

The Government are committed to reviewing all the available evidence and listening to the first-hand constituency experience of Members of Parliament such as my hon. Friend. That way, we can strike the right balance and ensure not only that the industry, which brings joy to many people, continues to thrive, but that we have the most robust protections in place to prevent problem gambling. I will update the House soon on the Government’s strategy, and Baroness Twycross will be happy to discuss the issue with MPs on both sides of the House who have personal experience and evidence that we will want to consider.

[Elaine Stewart]

I am sure that the Secretary of State will join me in praising local community groups, such as those in Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, that support people facing problems with gambling. At a time when financial resources are limited, and with a black hole left by the Conservative Government, have the new Government considered the fiscal cost to society of gambling, and particularly online gambling, which has a higher risk of harm?

[Lisa Nandy]

We are very aware of the issues that my hon. Friend raises and would be pleased to discuss them with her, as part of ensuring that we have the most robust protections in place, particularly in relation to online gambling. We are acutely aware of the problems that can ensue from gambling, but we also know that this is an industry that brings joy to many people. For example, more than half of all adults have participated in some form of gambling over the past year. We know that we must grasp this thorny issue, and we are committed to working with her and other colleagues to get it right.