This House of Lords Library Briefing has been prepared to mark the 70th Operation Market Garden, an unsuccessful Allied operation during the Second World War. This briefing provides an overview of the Operation and details of the commemorative events taking place to mark this anniversary.
Battle of Arnhem: 75th Anniversary (177 KB , PDF)
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Operation Market Garden, an unsuccessful Allied operation during the Second World War. The objective of the operation was to capture river and canal crossings in the German-occupied Netherlands and establish a route into Germany.
The operation ran from 17–25 September 1944, and involved over 35,000 Allied parachute and glider troops landing behind enemy lines. This was the largest airborne operation attempted up to that point during the Second World War. Allied ground forces also advanced into the occupied Netherlands, in a coordinated fashion, in an attempt to secure the crossings once they had been captured. The furthest from the frontline were the road and rail crossings at the city of Arnhem. The Battle of Arnhem saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war. The Allied forces were eventually defeated at Arnhem following heavy losses.
This briefing provides an overview of what took place during Operation Market Garden. It also provides details of the commemorative events taking place to mark this anniversary.
Battle of Arnhem: 75th Anniversary (177 KB , PDF)
The ‘Strategic defence review 2025’ (SDR) was published on 2 June 2025. Contending that the UK faces a generational defence and security challenge, the SDR makes 62 recommendations across the armed forces and wider society to meet this threat. The government has pledged to implement all those recommendations. However, critics question where the resources to meet the requirements of the SDR will come from, despite government pledges to raise defence spending levels.
The motion “that this bill do now pass” is moved immediately after a bill’s final stage in the House of Lords (known as third reading). It is amendable and so provides an opportunity for the House to oppose, delay or record a view on a measure if there is enough support. This briefing provides examples of amendments to the motion and what the outcome was each time.
The Chagos Archipelago has been the subject of a long-standing dispute over its sovereignty between the UK and Mauritius. Having been retained by the UK since 1965, the largest island, Diego Garcia, later became the site of a joint UK-US military base. In May 2025, the UK reached an agreement to transfer sovereignty of the islands back to Mauritius, while maintaining an initial 99-year lease of Diego Garcia. The agreement also includes security and financial provisions.
