Nine former PMs gathered at Remembrance Sunday service in London

Photo: The Guardian

Second world war veterans outnumbered former prime ministers for what could be the last time at the national service of remembrance at the Cenotaph in central London, The Guardian notes.

The number of surviving service personnel from that conflict attending the service has dwindled from 20 last year to about a dozen, the oldest of whom was Jeffrey Brereton, who served in the RAF. He volunteered for the air force in 1940, at the age of 19, and served as a mechanic on Hurricane aircraft during the Battle of Britain.

The number of former prime ministers has swollen to a record nine, all of whom attended as Andy Burnham took part in the ceremony for the first time. They included John Major, 83, the oldest living former prime minister; Keir Starmer, the most recent ex-premier, and Liz Truss, the shortest-serving.

Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, laid a wreath for the first time. Only leaders whose parties hold six seats or more are entitled to take part, and over the last year defections from the Conservatives have taken Reform beyond that threshold to eight MPs.

The first wreath was laid by King Charles, who was dressed in a field marshal’s uniform. He was joined by his son William wearing the black uniform of a lieutenant colonel of the Household Cavalry.

Minutes before the ceremony, one of the soldiers in the parade on Whitehall was taken away on a stretcher after fainting. Charles led the two-minute silence, which was broken only by a crying baby in Whitehall.

Some veterans waved and saluted as they began the march after the wreath-laying ceremony. Some of the older members were in wheelchairs and one group, many of whom were adorned with medals, rode mobility scooters.

...It is well known that Britain currently has more generals than tanks.

As for the former prime ministers — who cycle through 10 Downing Street with the speed of a political hurricane — in a couple of years, there will be enough of them to field an 11-player football team. It is by no means certain that the current prime minister, Burnham, will remain in his seat for long...

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