Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has faced criticism from opposition politicians and military veterans after a Government Remembrance Sunday statement appeared to suggest nobody in Britain had needed to fight a war since the Second World War. The comments appeared in an official press release on 8 November 2026. Nandy has defended her wider message about remembrance and international cooperation.
What did Lisa Nandy say?
In the official statement, Nandy paid tribute to those who served in both world wars and explicitly acknowledged sacrifices made by Armed Forces personnel today. She then said that wartime generations had forged a path for friendship and cooperation that meant “no one in our country has had to fight a war since.” Read literally, that wording conflicts with the documented involvement of British personnel in wars since 1945. The statement did not clarify whether she meant the absence of another world war on the same scale.
Robert Jenrick criticises the wording
Reform UK politician Robert Jenrick criticised the statement on social media, pointing to British military deaths in post-war conflicts. He cited 7,193 deaths, but that total is his claim and has not been independently reconciled here against a defined Ministry of Defence casualty series. His criticism focused on the apparent omission of those who fought after 1945.
British forces have fought since 1945
British forces fought in the Korean War, the 1982 Falklands War, the 1990–91 Gulf War and subsequent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. British personnel also served and died during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. These historical facts make an unqualified claim that nobody in Britain has fought a war since 1945 inaccurate when read literally.
Conservative criticism and Erasmus
Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake separately criticised the decision to link Remembrance Sunday with the Government’s plans for renewed participation in the Erasmus+ educational exchange programme. He called for the statement to be withdrawn and for Nandy to apologise. That criticism concerns the presentation and timing of a Government announcement, rather than proof of any motive on Nandy’s part.
Nandy responds
Speaking to Sky News, Nandy rejected accusations that she had used Remembrance Sunday for party-political purposes. She said her aim was to help younger generations understand the sacrifices of those who fought in the Second World War and to preserve peaceful relationships. In a separate LBC interview, she rejected suggestions that her remarks insulted veterans. These responses addressed the wider controversy but did not change the wording in the official press release.
Full statement also recognises recent conflicts
The same Government press release acknowledges present-day military service and includes comments from the Royal British Legion about veterans of Bosnia, Iraq and the first Gulf War. It also features an Iraq War veteran. That context matters: the document contains a historically problematic sentence, but it does not establish that Nandy intended to deny the existence of post-1945 conflicts or deliberately dismiss those who served.
Remembrance Sunday honours all generations
The National Service of Remembrance commemorates those who served and died in the world wars and later conflicts. The original Government statement remains available for readers to assess the wording and its context for themselves.