Shadow Defence Secretary, James Cartlidge MP & Shadow Armed Forces Minister and Rayleigh and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, recently joined forces in Westminster for the Royal British Legion’s “Poppy Ride,” an event honouring Remembrance.
The ride symbolically covers the distance from London to Brussels and the battlefields of the First World War, with each MP encouraged to cycle as far as possible within a five-minute timeframe. Mark, a seasoned participant over the years, managed to cover 3.5 km this time, placing him near the top of the leaderboard among more than 50 MPs, although James Cartlidge did even better, clocking up 3.66km.
Commenting on the event Mark said:
“The Royal British Legion is a remarkable charity that tirelessly supports both serving Armed Forces personnel and veterans. As a longtime supporter of their invaluable work, I was thrilled to participate in the 2024 Poppy Ride—and pleasantly surprised to reach 3.5 km in the five minutes; though, I was pipped to the post by my boss! I was also delighted to see strong attendance at Remembrance Sunday services in my constituency this weekend. I firmly believe in honouring the sacrifice of those who gave their lives so we can live freely. Lest we forget.”
