This is not about opposing China for its own sake. It is about recognising that decisions of this scale and sensitivity are irreversible once taken. Embassy approvals create permanent diplomatic facts on the ground that cannot be unwound if judgments prove mistaken.
By tightening at the centre without offering a long-term growth narrative, Reeves left devolved authorities managing decline rather than renewal. The result has not been reassurance, but resentment.
Labour councils claim they are underfunded, but they fail to explain why some Conservative-led councils manage their budgets without demanding endless tax hikes.
The Conservative Party will need to pick its next leader carefully. Even at grassroots level the party is disengaged and will need to come to together to draw local support as well as national support.
Sir Keir Starmer’s potential neglect of Grey Zone activities could leave the UK vulnerable to subtler, yet significant, forms of aggression that fall outside the realm of nuclear conflict.
If Xi Jinping comes to believe the West will not defend its allies, the consequences could be disastrous.
There is no reason why it cannot be as intrinsically patriotic, rigorous and questioning as other historical disciplines.
We need to be proactive, and champion those universal values that we all share. And BAME conservatives need to be articulating and leading it.
Too many local associations still behave as though visibility during election season is enough. Too many councillors still rely on outdated political assumptions in an environment that no longer rewards complacency. And too many local structures continue to confuse survival with renewal.