In Prime Minister’s Questions this week, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, gave his strong support to the Dame Vera Lynn national memorial project. The project is set to raise funds to erect a permanent memorial to Dame Vera, who passed away on 18th June 2020, aged 103. Renowned sculptor, Paul Day, whose work includes the Battle of Britain Memorial on the Embankment has agreed to design and create the memorial.
The memorial is set to be sited at the Western Heights on the White Cliffs of Dover, reflecting one of Dame Vera’s most famous songs. The statue has inspired Dover District Council’s recent bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for a Dame Vera Memorial Park and outdoor performing arts space.
I asked the Prime Minister in the House of Commons:
“Dame Vera Lynn did so much for our nation. Now a fitting memorial is planned on the White Cliffs of Dover to ensure this national icon continues to be celebrated for decades to come.
“Does my Right Honourable Friend, the Prime Minister, agree that Dame Vera was a great inspiration to women – showing the difference we can make and her contribution throughout the whole of her life to our national life. Will he extend his support to this important Dame Vera Lynn national memorial project?”
The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, said it was something on which the House could “all unite” and the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, also gave his full support to it. The Prime Minister joins a host of endorsements including Sir Paul McCartney, Katherine Jenkins and Joanna Lumley.
More about the memorial can be found at https://dameveralynnmemorialstatue.co.uk/