Date of publication: 18/04/2013
The British Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Maria Miller, says Britain must mark the “entirety” of the First World War during the Centenary, not just the conflict’s end.
Answering questions about plans for the Centenary from fellow MPs in the British Parliament on 18th April 2013, the Secretary of State rejected criticism from Jonathan Edwards, of the Welsh nationalists, Plaid Cymru. Mr Edwards, who represents Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, asserted:
“The first world war [sic] was caused by a complete foreign policy malfunction based on the imperial ambitions of the elites of the time. It resulted in the deaths of 30 million soldiers and 7 million civilians. Surely the Secretary of State agrees that it would be more appropriate to commemorate the end of the war, rather than to replicate in 2014 a jamboree reminiscent of the jingoistic nonsense used to drum up support for the slaughter”.
Responding to Mr Edwards, Mrs Miller began: “I have to say that the tone of the hon. Gentleman’s intervention is not quite what I would like to hear”.
Mrs Miller continued, “We should ensure that we mark the entirety of the first world war [sic] from its beginning to its end, as it had a considerable impact on every community in this country. I recently had the honour of visiting many of the war graves of those who gave their lives throughout the war, and we need to ensure that we honour their memory in full”.
To read the full question and answer session about the Centenary, visit the They Work For You website here.
Posted by: Daniel Barry, Centenary News