Last week, I had the great pleasure of meeting a local veteran who had just received the Légion d’Honneur – France’s highest honour.
The French Government has announced that all living British ex-servicemen who fought to liberate France during D-Day are eligible for the award, and for the past year I have been helping this particular individual – who wishes to remain nameless – through the application process.
It was fascinating to meet him and hear his story: he deployed to France in a glider, rescued two fellow soldiers from a crashed craft, and still has the shrapnel of an artillery shell in his shoulder!
If there are any other veterans of the Normandy Landings living in Solihull, I would be delighted to support your own application for the Legion of Honour. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Ever since I was first elected as MP for Solihull, I have done everything I can to champion our Armed Forces and the men and women who serve in them, and every year I’m struck by the depth of the respect exhibited by our community on Remembrance Sunday.
Last week I also spoke in a Westminster debate on social care, and Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, expressed his gratitude for my support in making the case for more social care investment to support local NHS services.
This is without doubt one of the biggest and most important challenges facing the Government today, and Solihull has a particular interest in making sure that these essential services are put on a stable and sustainable footing.
Our town has an ageing population. On the doorstep I regularly come face-to-face with what Age UK has dubbed the ‘silent crisis’: people quietly trying to care for their loved ones behind closed doors.
According to projections from Solihull Council, by 2036 one in four of our population will be over 65 – and fully five per cent will be over 85.
That’s why I’m delighted that the Government has announced £240 million of extra funding for councils to invest in adult social care over the winter. Over £870,000 of this funding is earmarked for Solihull.
This will help to ease pressure on the NHS at a crucial time, freeing up beds by making sure that patients can access the home care they need.
Julian Knight MP
