Alec Penstone, a 100-year-old Royal Navy veteran who served on D‑Day, expressed sorrow on Good Morning Britain that the freedoms his generation fought for have eroded, saying the sacrifice “wasn’t worth the result.”
Alec Penstone, a Royal Navy veteran who served during the 1944 D‑Day landings aboard the escort carrier HMS Campania, said on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on 7 November 2025 that he struggles with the state of the country today.
“My message is, I can see in my mind’s eye those rows and rows of white stones — all the hundreds of my friends who gave their lives. For what? The country of today? No, I’m sorry, but the sacrifice wasn’t worth the result of what it is now,” he said. Asked to elaborate, he added: “What we fought for was our freedom, but now it’s a darn sight worse than when I fought for it.” The program shared a clip and quote of his remarks on its X (formerly Twitter) account.
Penstone’s service has been documented by UK outlets: he worked on anti‑submarine and mine‑sweeping operations linked to D‑Day aboard HMS Campania and has previously described himself as “just one of the lucky ones” to have survived. According to reporting at the time, he later returned to the Arctic Convoys and, after Victory in Europe Day, married his fiancée, Gladys, before being sent back to duty.
Penstone’s interview landed amid renewed debates about how Britain commemorates its past and contends with present‑day policy disputes.
Parliamentary artworks: In February 2025, GB News — citing the Telegraph — reported that several images of Winston Churchill and the Duke of Wellington were taken off display in MPs’ office buildings on the parliamentary estate, including Portcullis House. The House of Commons later said movements are routine in a working collection: seven Churchill prints or photographs came off display after the July 2024 election (mostly due to office moves or conservation), while busts remained in place and numerous Churchill works continue to be shown in prominent locations. The Commons also reported hundreds of artworks moved in or out of storage for logistical reasons across the estate.
Grooming‑gangs dispute: In January 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticized calls from political opponents for a new, separate national inquiry as “jumping on the bandwagon of the far right,” and condemned “lies and misinformation” surrounding the issue. Elon Musk amplified criticism on X; when Starmer used the “misinformation” framing, Musk replied: “What an insane thing to say!” In subsequent months the government commissioned further reviews, and later accepted the case for a national inquiry into organized child sexual abuse, while continuing to say existing recommendations should be implemented.
Penstone did not delve into these controversies on air, but his lament underscored how arguments over remembrance, national identity and present‑day governance remain intertwined in Britain.
