On Saturday the 9th of September, Member of Parliament for Wrexham, Sarah Atherton MP welcomed thirteen Wrexham Royal Navy/ Royal Marine veterans from Wrexham to visit Parliament. On Sunday, the veterans from Wrexham marched through London as part of the Naval Associations biennial parade.
Mrs Atherton is currently the only sitting female MP with a regular military background, a former Defence Minister, and is a member of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. Most recently, it was announced that Mrs Atherton will chair the Advisory Group to develop the Women Veterans’ Strategy, looking at the specific needs and challenges faced by women veterans and making sure that the UK delivers the services needed by women veterans.
The veterans were given a full tour of the Houses of Parliament, as well as a visit to the terrace, learning more about its rich history and significance. They also got to see the inner workings of Westminster and were able to ask Mrs. Atherton questions about her day-to-day tasks in Westminster, as well as in Wrexham. During the visit, they discussed the current support available for veterans in Wrexham and how this could be improved.
Ms. Atherton’s office offers tours to constituents, schools, local community groups, and charities. If residents are interested in visiting Parliament, they can request a visit by emailing Mrs Atherton’s office at sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.
Eric Holmwood, Honorary Branch Treasurer at the Royal Naval Association Wrexham Branch, commented:
“We would like to say a big thank you to Sarah Atherton MP and her fantastic team for taking time out of their weekend to host us in Parliament. The visit gave us an insight into the running of Parliament, our MP’s busy schedule, and allowed us to explore the history of the building itself. We very much appreciated it and would recommend others to get in touch for the chance to go.”
Sarah Atherton MP said:
“As a veteran myself, it was wonderful to welcome the thirteen Royal Navy/ Royal Marine veterans from Wrexham to Parliament. It was a pleasure to discuss the day-to-day running of our political democracy and exploring the history of the Houses of Parliament, not to mention the great passion we all have for our buzzing new city.
The group was interested to hear about the rich military history that runs through the fabric of Parliament. I thoroughly enjoyed hosting the group and the tour was topped off by drinking a glass of Wrexham Lager on the terrace on a sunny Saturday afternoon. If a tour of the Houses of Parliament interests you, please do not hesitate to get in touch by emailing sarah.atherton.mp@parliament.uk.”