EVEN by the brutal standards of the First World War, the Battle of the Somme stands out as particularly bloody.

On the first day alone, the British Army lost nearly 20,000 men – most of them in the first hour.

The Germans lost over 10,000 men and the French lost a further 1,500.

The battle has become known as one of the darkest days in the history of the British Army.

Key mistakes were made in the preparation for the battle and much of the ground won during the three-month campaign was subsequently lost again.

However, what I didn't know until recently, was that, in the trenches that day, nervously waiting for the whistle to go 'over the top' were two young men whose grandchildren would one day go on to represent the same town.

My grandfather was a sergeant in the Royal Artillery.

He joined the army aged 20 and would have been just 22 that day.

My constituency neighbour Helen Jones' grandfather was also a sergeant and would have been a similar age.

When I first found out about this, it got me thinking about the ties that bind us together.

My grandfather and Helen Jones' grandfather came from different backgrounds

Given the numbers involved in the battle and the length of the front, it's highly unlikely the two men ever met.

And yet both of them were there on the same battlefield – and for the same reason: to serve their country.

A number of political commentators have noted a decline in the civility of political debate as the number of politicians who served during the wars has diminished.

Clement Attlee and Harold Macmillan both served during WW1.

Ted Heath and Dennis Healey both served in the Royal Artillery in WW2.

These were some of the titans of late-20th century politics.

They would give no quarter when it came to debates but they all had the shared experience of having fought on the same side.

At a time when too many divisive things are going on in the world sometimes it's good to remember that the ties that bind us are greater than the forces pulling us apart.