Today, I joined Remembrance Sunday commemorations in Esher. A large local throng joined members of the local church, Royal Legion, the three armed services and local councillors, as we laid wreaths at the war memorial. Reverend Stefan Collier led us in prayer, and the minute's silence was followed by a fitting tribute during the service at Christ Church. I read from Matthew Chapter 5, verses 1 to 12, which I always find very moving. The service finished with a stirring rendition of 'God Save the Queen'.

I find Remembrance Sunday one of the most poignant and humbling occasions in the calendar. Now more than ever, it retains its value in bringing the community together - young and old - to remember the sacrifices of those past and present who have served and continue to serve our country. I think we had even more members of the public attending, this year, than in previous ones. It shows the strong sense of civic pride we have in our community, and it was a great honour to be a part of the commemorations.

I have written a column for The Sunday Times, setting out the case for a Bill of Rights, and addressing the critics of Conservative proposals.

You can access it here.

Today, the House of Commons debated whether or not Britain should engage in military air strikes on the terrorist group, Islamic State, in Iraq. The motion was tightly drafted - you can read the text here - to assuage fears airstrikes would lead to ground troops, or action in Iraq would spread to Syria.

I sat through the entire debate - from 10.30am until 6pm - queuing to speak. The system is that, after Ministers, Select Committee Chairs and former Ministers with relevant experience, backbenchers are listed according to how infrequently they have spoken in Parliamentary debates. In my view, this protocol is totally arbitrary. But, in any case, because I have participated in a lot of debates I didn't get an opportunity to speak. In the end I supported the government motion - albeit with reservations and something of a heavy heart.

I have pasted below the speech I would have given, so you understand my views on such an important issue ....

I see no legal bar to intervention in Iraq,
Given the Iraqi request for military support.
In addition, there is a more limited but well established right of self-defence against terrorist groups threatening either the UK or her citizens.

So, we have the right to intervene.
The question is whether and how we exercise it.

Here, like others, I have to question whether airstrikes alone are capable of affecting positive change on the ground.
Like Al-Qaeda,
Islamic State is an amorphous organisation.
It can hunker down,
Take savage losses,
And re-appear once the patience, will or attention of the West has drifted.
It will bide its time.
It can and will fill vacuums that appear across the Middle East.

Even if we vanquish IS in Iraq,
It has a foothold in Syria,
And there is nothing to stop it morphing and re-emerging further afield.

Regrettably, the West has no credible wider regional strategy.
The reticence of Turkey and Jordan in taking on Islamic State,
The absence of Iran from the recent Paris conference,
The failure to court relatively moderate groups,
Including the Muslim Brotherhood,
All point to this strategic frailty.

There are serious questions about Saudi Arabia’s support,
Tacit or otherwise,
For Islamic State.

And, here at home, British involvement elevates the risk of blowback,
By providing a pretext for attacks by returning jihadis.

Overall, Mr Speaker, this international operation feels like it’s prodding at a hornet’s nest with a short stick.
I hope, but I’m not convinced, that we can affect positive change.
And, the more involved we get,
The more we take responsibility for the mess.
As Colin Powell used to say,
His Pottery Barn rule,
“If you break it, you own it.”

Yesterday, I joined the Royal Legion, members of the armed forces, councillors and a strong local turnout to commemorate Remembrance Sunday at Esher Green. In the bright sunshine, with blue skies, we paid our respects at the War Memorial, and joined the service at Christ Church led by Reverend Dr Stefan Collier and their wonderful choir.

I was honoured to give a reading from the Gospel of John. Reverend Collier delivered a touching service and the congregation sang the national anthem with gusto and passion. It was a fitting tribute to the enormous sacrifice made by the armed forces since the Great War, and a timely reminder of their ongoing heroism. 

This week, the Supreme Court paved the way for the families of UK casualties from friendly-fire and road bombs in Iraq to sue the Ministry of Defence under the Human Rights Act. The case was reported here.

I have written a column for the Daily Telegraph tomorrow, assessing the implications of the case. You can read it here.

I was recently contacted by Janet Shell, a constituent from Hersham with a remarkable story to tell. Janet was undertaking some research into her family history, when she came across the story of a French farmer who had discovered multiple remains in one of his fields - the historical site of the battle of Arras during World War 1. Following subsequent inquiries, Janet discovered that the remains of her great uncle, John Harold Pritchard, were amongst those found on the battlefield in Bullecourt.

It turns out that Captain Pritchard had served with the Honourable Artillery Company in France during the Great War. He fell on May 17th 1915 at the battle of Arras, during one of the more successful allied offensives. Janet’s perseverance will be reward later this month. John will receive a full military burial in France – almost a century after he fell fighting for his country.

Hopefully, Janet’s story will encourage other families who have lost relatives during the wars to continue their search for them. Janet simply typed John’s name into a search engine. But it is also possible to search the Commonwealth War Graves Commission via their link here.

The Royal Legion do a terrific job - nationally and locally - supporting not just our troops, but also their families. I recently met with Surrey's officer, Canon Peter Bruinvels (pictured below), for an update on what the Legion have been working on, and further plans to strengthen support for active and returning personnel.

This week, of all weeks, we don't need any reminding of the sacrificies our troops make for their country. But we do need to be eternally vigilant that - from the state of our armoured vehicles to the long-term support for the injured - they get the treatment they deserve.

Today, I joined the local throng saluting soldiers from 22 (Gibraltar 1779-83) Battery and 32 Regiment Royal Artillery, accompanied by the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery and the Royal Artillery Band. The troops were marking the end of a 6 month tour of Afghanistan, heading from Esher police station to Sandown Park for the Royal Artillery Gold Cup horse race.

It was a great occasion, cadets marching with veterans, attended by a range of our local councillors (see below). It is always good to see our brave armed forces get the respect and recognition they deserve, and remind ourselves of the sacrifices they make on our behalf. They remain a source of tremendous local and national pride.

There's a clip of the march on You Tube - you can access it here.

(It's not often you see a tank making its way down Esher High St.)