A national conversation implies the nation supports defence. What nation? The SNP opposes nuclear submarines at Faslane, Sinn Fein is against the £50 million Defence Growth Deal in Northern Ireland and Plaid Cymru backs rural resiliance [sic] but ducks defence.
The joke, now far less funny, is that the Greens were always watermelons – eco-kindliness on the outside, Corbynite hard-left socialism within.
Keir Starmer claims he is putting Britain on a “war footing”. Defence, however, needs more than money. It relies on Armed Forces personnel, whose morale is being undermined by the lawfare being championed by Labour.
Were Lord Nelson to see the current state of the Royal Navy, his shock would surely be shared by Vice Admiral Pierre-Charles Villeneuve, commander of the enemy fleet at Trafalgar.
Recently, prayer seems to have wandered away – perhaps like lost sheep? – from St Thomas More’s entreaty for minds that are “humble, quiet, peaceable, patient and charitable”. The act of praying, and its prevention, are becoming weaponised.
If Labour believes that opposing controversial military action brings political success at home, Suez is a warning. By rights, the Conservatives should have been punished for the botched misadventure, but in the 1959 Election, Harold Macmillan won a landslide.
Contrary to PM Starmer’s assertion at Wednesday’s PMQs, Kosovo highlighted that major political change can be brought about from the skies. If, as is said, war is too important to be left to the generals, it should never be left to the lawyers.
Despite the chaos engulfing the Starmer regime, Labour insists that it is we, the people, who are getting everything upside-down, back to front and inside-out. Dumping an abusive relationship is apparently the best protection from being gaslit.
The EU seeks to avoid duplication, but there is already a cross-European defence forum that could address efficiency issues, such as armed forces’ inter-operability, it’s called NATO.
The government’s lack of legal clarity costs taxpayers. By May 2025, only part way though the Peggie hearing, NHS Fife had racked up £220k in legal fees. It”s time public sector bosses were personally liable for such egregious wastes of public money
Conservatives should of course want to conserve the planet. But we need to remain down-to-earth about the limits of this country’s moral influence and the global impact that further cutting Britain’s carbon emissions will make.
Britain’s political parties must decide whether they are on the side of working wealth-makers like Don, or the wealth-takers. To govern is to choose.
Kemi Badenoch will answer the Chancellor’s Budget Speech. The Conservative record on promoting women and people from ethnic minorities speaks for itself: there is no need to brag. Instead, the Opposition Leader can focus on the real priority – the economy.
However imperfect defence policy is, despite the shrinking budgets and the reduced numbers, the majority of the British people recognise the debt they owe to the men and women of the Armed Forces, both present and past.
Greed, poor judgement and an empathy by-pass are not criminal. With one calamitous Budget bringing the country to its economic knees and another imminent, no wonder Labour is keen to keep the Andrew saga simmering.