Westminster Life: We will remember them

On Sunday morning, as fog settled over the city, hundreds of us gathered at the Bridge Street War Memorial to fall silent. Veterans, cadets and our emergency services walked side by side to the Cathedral. I was reminded how deeply Peterborough feels its debt to those who served.

None of it happens by itself. For weeks, volunteers have stood outside our shops and stations in wind and rain, selling poppies for the Royal British Legion. To every one of them, and everyone who dropped a coin in a tin, thank you.

Saying thank you is the easy part. The real task is turning thanks into help people can rely on. For years, if a soldier's family was stuck in a damp, mouldy forces home, or a young recruit faced bullying, there was nobody outside the chain of command to listen. That is why I voted to create an independent Armed Forces Commissioner, a watchdog families can contact directly, with the power to visit bases, investigate complaints and report straight to Parliament. Since March, it has done just that.

I was also really pleased that our very own Councillor Jason McNally, a veteran himself, was at the Cenotaph in London this year for the wreath laying on behalf of the Nuclear Test veterans.

The Armed Forces Covenant is the nation's promise that nobody should lose out because of their service, whether that is a forces child moving schools or a veteran on a housing waiting list. The Armed Forces Bill, now going through the House of Lords, will make that promise legally binding across every part of government, from childcare to pensions. Local businesses can sign the Covenant today, pledging to treat veterans and reservists fairly, and any that would like to sign up should get in touch with my office.

Looking out for one another is something Peterborough does well. On Friday, I joined the opening of the new Citizen Hub on Bridge Street. It is a free drop-in centre where anyone can get advice on jobs, training, health or community support, without being sent from building to building. It was good to see people from all walks of city life in one place, from Peterborough College to the Posh Foundation, and lots more in-between. This is about bringing people together and ensuring help and support – or even just a cuppa – are in the right place. I would encourage anyone looking for a new start to pop in.

Sunday's service ended in the Cathedral, the building at the heart of our city for almost 1,000 years. Behind the scenes, it faces a serious problem: heavy rain is overwhelming an old drainage system and water is getting into the roof. The Cathedral is bidding for £230,000 from the Government's new Places of Worship Renewal Fund for urgent repairs, and I am fully backing that bid. Fixing small problems now saves far bigger bills later and keeps the Cathedral open for moments of reflection like this one.