As someone who lived through Britain’s darkest period, Alec Penstone knows a thing or two about duty, selflessness, and sacrifice.
The widowed D-Day veteran, married to his sweetheart Gladys for 77 years, still embodies the wartime maxim of putting others first.
So a penny for his thoughts on the current state of Britain. His verdict? It’s less broken, more like rotten to the core.
Alec’s eviscerating assessment says so much about life under Labour. To him Britain was made great because its people put service over self. These days it’s the other way round.
The UK is unrecognisable to him and others from the greatest generation who fought and, in many cases, laid down their lives for freedoms we have taken for granted and, at times, thrown away.
The Royal Navy hero who was part of the Normandy Landings in 1944, a pivotal military invasion of Nazi-occupied France that hastened the end of the Second World War and ignited hope of a brighter future.
Fast forward eight decades and we have a lame duck prime minister leading a rudderless party hellbent on milking hard-working families for every last penny of tax.
We have a government mired in sleaze and controversy, from former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner being forced to resign after breaching the ministerial code over questions about the stamp duty she paid on a home, to Chancellor Rachel Reeves who admitted breaking rules by renting out her house without a licence, and prime minister Sir Keir Starmer accepting £16,000 worth of clothes from Labour peer Lord Alli.
In 17 months Labour has alienated every part of this country – from OAPs to parents, from struggling high street businesses to farmers.
The economy is gurgling around the plughole as inflation soars, wage growth slumps, unemployment reaches a four-year high, and business confidence crashes through the floor.
Next week greedy resident doctors will abandon the sick and needy and walk out on strike for five days – again – after the militant British Medical Association’s selfish demands for a near 30% pay rise were refused.
In just over a fortnight millions of families will be clobbered into submission at the Budget.
And over the past five days almost 2,000 small boat illegal migrants have crossed the same stretch of water that Alec and his bravehearts traversed to fight the Nazis 81 years ago. And, inevitably, they will receive a red carpet welcome.
Anger doesn’t adequately sum it up.
Is it any wonder why Royal Navy warrior Alec said: “There are too many people with their hands in the till and who just think, ‘what can I get out of the country?’
“This country is so divided it just doesn’t seem to be a nice place any more and I blame the politicians – none of whom seem to have the backing of the people. It’s all self, self, self. What on earth has happened?”
Few have encapsulated the state of this nation better than the former able seaman.
Yesterday, on the most sacred day of the year for veterans, Alec revealed he felt “very low” – not only as a proud sailor remembering pals who didn’t return home, but also for the parlous state of the country they died fighting for.
It is hardly surprising when it is awash with division, hatred, and inequality.
The many are now becoming the few and giants like Alec will not be around for long. And with each who passes we lose wisdom, humility, and grace.
The inescapable reality is that for many Second World War veterans this Remembrance Day was likely their last.
Britain has become, by any reasonable metric, unrecognisable to those who thought nothing of answering the call of duty, standing and serving.
What this country has become since is not one they recognise. The greed, selfishness, discord, and disharmony sickens each and every one.
But at the going down of the sun and in the morning good and honest people will always remember the men and women who did not flinch in answering the call to fight for our freedom and honour – even if our self-serving political class are hellbent on throwing them away.
