VICTORY IN EUROPE (VE) DAY should be remembered as a triumph for democracy against fascist tyranny and a time to celebrate peace and liberation, socialists declare today.

Today marks 75 years since the Allies of World War II accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany after almost six years of conflict.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to the millions of people across Britain and the world who helped secure victory in the war.

In a video message, he praised the “shared values of those who stood together” and highlighted the “legacy of those that rebuilt and renewed our country after the war.”

Filmmaker Ken Loach told the Star that the left should not only celebrate that fascism was defeated, but also the achievements of 1945 that sprang from the victory.

“The huge collective effort to win the war turned into a huge collective effort to win the peace — the effort that led to the birth of the NHS, the welfare state,” he said.

Communist Party general secretary Robert Griffiths said today we mark the triumph of democracy, independence and liberation in Europe over the “deadly forces of fascism.”

He remembered the sacrifice and inspiration of the generation that “endured such privations and terror,” from bombings to incarceration in camps, and who “gave their best, and often their lives,” so that the peoples of Britain and Europe could be free of fascism. 

Mr Griffiths said: “The current crisis of capitalism, over-layered with the Covid-19 pandemic which capitalism has exacerbated, should make us all stop and reflect on the continuing danger of the profit-driven system that brought Hitler to power, to set him against the Soviet Union and to enslave the peoples of Europe. 

“So, today, we communists celebrate the ‘People’s Anti-Fascist War’ and the Soviet Union’s ‘Great Patriotic War.’

“We salute the war-time alliance of the citizens of Britain, the USSR, China, France and the US and we urge every working-class family to take up the struggle to fulfil the aspiration of 1945, by forcing capitalism aside, and bringing socialism to the nations of Britain.”

Unite Against Fascism’s Weyman Bennett said VE day should be remembered for those who fought against fascism and the Holocaust.

He said: “As fascism reappears across Europe, our slogan is never again to let 12 million people be slaughtered by the nazis.

“Our leaders celebrate [veterans’] sacrifices while denying them basic safety in the care homes. Our struggle is not over, it has to continue.”

The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) accused the government of trivialising the suffering of millions of people by turning the 75th anniversary into a “jingoistic party.”

Ministers are encouraging people to celebrate the day with bunting, socially distanced tea-parties and red, white and blue decorations.

But PPU described the plans as “an insult” to the memory of 60 million people who died in World War Two, and will instead be taking part in a two-minute silence at 11am today.

PPU’s Geoff Tibbs said: “The anniversary of VE Day is a time for mourning and reflection rather than national celebration. 

“The best way to honour the memory of the dead is to work to prevent war and the causes of war today.

“The global Covid-19 pandemic reminds us that people around the world have the same needs. We can only solve our problems by working together across borders.”