Captain Sir Tom Moore ‘should be remembered formally with a statue’
Captain Sir Tom Moore’s legacy will be marked “formally”, the Health Secretary has said, as tributes continued to be paid to the veteran.
The 100-year-old, who raised £32 million NHS Charities Together during the first national lockdown, died on Tuesday morning after testing positive for Covid-19.
Today, locals were seen laying flowers for the veteran outisde his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedford.
This morning, Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the 100-year-old as an “inspiration" and told BBC Breakfast: “I think we should find a way to make sure we mark the memory of Captain Tom and thank him for the contribution he made for the NHS.
“I will ensure we mark his contribution properly and appropriately at the right moment.
“I think everybody would welcome that, I think he has touched the hearts of so many people of all ages.
“He touched the heart of the nation and we should remember that."
When asked by LBC about a statue being built in his memory, Hancock said: "Yes, I do think that we should find a way, at the right time, to honour the contribution that he made to the NHS and he was an inspiration to so many people.”
DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles said Captain Sir Tom Moore should be honoured with a permanent statue on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.
"I will ensure that we mark his contribution properly and appropriately."
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) February 3, 2021
The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock tells #BBCBreakfast that the government is considering a longer term permanent tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore.
More here: https://t.co/kNVrLg1qJW pic.twitter.com/GQ98IzbIWG
Knowles, who helped get a fence built for Sir Tom to help him retain some privacy amid the glare of the world’s media, told the PA news agency: “That is my suggestion. Let’s get a statue of him up on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square and let that be a focus for positivity.
“There are various demonstrations and events that happen in Trafalgar Square and to have him overlooking all those things, it would be nice for people to look up and see somebody who is a constant reminder of positivity.”
Singer Michael Ball, who recorded a charity single with Sir Tom which reached number one, said the 100-year-old had left the public richer through his inspiring acts.
He confirmed he had spoke to the veteran’s daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and said Sir Tom's passing had been “a beautiful ending, if there is such a thing."
He said: “It was a peaceful ending, right at the end, and he’s left us richer, hasn’t he, in every sense, and better off. He set an example for us all.”
Ellie Orton, chief executive of NHS Charities Together - the charity the veteran fundraised for, said Sir Tom had left a “huge and lasting legacy”.
She said: “He has left a huge and lasting legacy in NHS Charities because of the absolutely phenomenal fundraising he did himself.”
Sir Tom set out to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday last April - but his efforts struck a chord with the nation and the donations flooded in.
In acknowledgement of his efforts, he was knighted by the Queen during a unique open-air ceremony at Windsor Castle in summer 2020.
Sir Tom had been taken to hospital on Sunday after being treated for pneumonia for some time and testing positive for coronavirus last week.
The family had spent Christmas in Barbados. A statement released by his family said Sir Tom was tested regularly for Covid-19 between December 9 and January 12 - a requirement of the Barbados government and now the UK government - and each test returned negative.
It added: "He was admitted to hospital on January 12. Whilst in hospital he received a pneumonia diagnosis. In addition, as with other patients, he was tested regularly for Covid-19.
"On January 22, Tom was discharged from hospital back to the family home where he felt most comfortable. Unfortunately he was left still fighting pneumonia and tested positive for Covid-19 that day.
"He remained at home, cared for by family and medical professionals, until he needed additional help with his breathing. He was taken by ambulance to Bedford Hospital on Sunday January 31."
In another statement about his final days, his daughters, Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira, said: "We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life. We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together."
Tributes continued to pour in for the veteran following confirmation of his death yesterday afternoon.
The White House joined the chorus of tributes, saying the US joined the UK “in honouring the memory of Captain Sir Tom Moore, who inspired millions through his life and his actions”.
Sir Tom was a life-long cricket fan. England captain Joe Root said: “He loved his cricket. For the whole cricket community he will be sadly missed.”
Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan said Captain Sir Tom Moore’s legacy will inspire people to be better.
He told BBC Breakfast: “Unfortunately, yesterday we lost him but I think the legacy that he’s leaving and the amount of money that he’s raised for the NHS, and just by being that better person he’s inspired many more to be exactly the same.”
“The last few days were spent reminiscing”
— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) February 3, 2021
Michael Ball tells #BBCBreakfast Captain Sir Tom Moore and his family reflected on his life before he passed away. https://t.co/JaMrqi2GSO pic.twitter.com/RKUYrs539B
England manager Gareth Southgate and the Football Association have moved to pay their respects to Sir Tom, with the Wembley arch lit up red and white and a message displayed at the stadium.
“Captain Sir Tom Moore demonstrated the very best of England during an extremely difficult time for the nation,” said Southgate.
The flag above 10 Downing Street was flown at half-mast on Tuesday, while landmarks including the London Eye and Blackpool Tower were lit up. A tribute was broadcast on the billboard lights at Piccadilly Circus.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson described the veteran as “not just a national inspiration but a beacon of hope for the world”.
“In the face of this country’s deepest post-war crisis, he united us all, he cheered us all up, and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit,” he said.
Buckingham Palace said the Queen would be sending a private message of condolence to Sir Tom’s family, adding: “Her thoughts, and those of the royal family, are with them, recognising the inspiration he provided for the whole nation and others across the world.”
Floral tributes were laid at the gate to his family home in the village of Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire, as neighbours described him as "a legend, inspiring, a hero".
