Crispin Blunt

Conservative Party | Reigate

‘Westminster Matters’

The parliamentary recess gave Crispin Blunt the chance to travel to American to see his godson graduate from West Point military academy. In his second weekly column he reflects on the Anglo-American alliance. The text is below:

After the lengthy build up to the general election, and the election campaign itself, the Whitsun Recess, which coincides with the half-term break, came not a moment too soon for politicians of all parties. Not only did we all look in need of a break – the public was no doubt glad of a break from us!

The break gave me the opportunity to witness my godson Max graduate from West Point - West Point is the American equivalent of Sandhurst, located in  New York state and places there are highly prized. Tragically Max’s father died some years ago and was not able to see his son’s great achievement.

Max is the living embodiment of the Anglo-American alliance. His English mother, the daughter of a British D-Day veteran, Major General Tony Richardson, was very happily married to Max’s father, an American academic. Joyfully Max’s English grandfather is still very much alive at 83,  and it was an immense pleasure to watch as my newly commissioned American godson had his badges of rank as an officer in the United States Army pinned to him by this veteran British officer in full service dress.

General Tony Richardson happens also to be my uncle and the ceremony was poignant for me, reminding me as it did of my own commissioning from Sandhurst 26 years before. On that occasion my parents were able to attend - my father, Peter Blunt, as a Major General and as the representative Colonel Commandant of the Royal Corps of Transport.  Sadly both my parents, like many of that great wartime generation, have recently passed away.  Both of them saw wartime service alongside our American allies and would have shared the family’s pride in Max’s achievement last week. 

Witnessing Max’s graduation renewed in me an appreciation of the great military traditions that our two nations share. The last hundred years have seen our nations fight side by side in the service of liberty and democracy. With all the controversy surrounding Britain and America’s role in Iraq, it was a timely reminder to me not to forget the importance of the Anglo-American alliance – the rock on which our security and our values have been defended in the living memory of every Briton and every American.

Over the coming months we will all share in the nation’s ceremonies to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.  In the knowledge that these will be the last major ceremonies in which most veterans will be able to take an active part, I hope that a proper tribute is paid to those to whom we owe so much.

The responsibility of sustaining peace and freedom could seem remote to Parliament until MPs had to take a decision over war in Iraq. At West Point as I contemplated what the future might hold for my godson and his British colleagues I was reminded that it is the single most important responsibility of a nation’s political leaders.