Party leaders attend service to mark VE Day anniversary
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Your support makes all the difference.The leaders of the three main political parties today took time out from negotiations over the formation of a new Government to join the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall to mark the 65th anniversary of VE Day.
Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg briefly turned their attention away from behind-the-scenes bartering in the wake of the General Election result to join war veterans and serving soldiers, sailors and airmen at a national service of commemoration at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
The event recalled the moment that Second World War hostilities in Europe ended on May 8 1945.
On that date Prime Minister Winston Churchill officially announced the end of the fighting in a message broadcast to the nation but stressed the conflict was still being waged against Japan.
A spokesman for the organisers of the event said: "This service of commemoration will celebrate the achievements of the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the allies in their victory against fascism, but will also pay tribute to the 580,406 UK and Commonwealth forces and 67,073 UK civilians who lost their lives during six long years of conflict."
Amongst the guests attending were Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup - head of the Armed Forces; Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, the First Sea Lord; General Sir David Richards, Chief of the General Staff and Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff.
Those invited also included representatives of Second World War associations, veterans of the conflict and serving members of the Armed Forces.
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