This week in Parliament I had a very productive meeting with the Minister with responsibility for coastal communities to discuss my campaign to honour the Spitfire and how Southampton could put in a bid to help fund a fitting memorial to the iconic aircraft.

R J Mitchell CBE designed the Spitfire in Southampton and its first flight was from Eastleigh Airport.

The Spitfire went on to help secure our freedom with its significant contribution in the Battle of Britain. But for R J Mitchell, those that built the Spitfire and the brave pilots who flew it our lives would have been very different.