The Defence Secretary said “the real battle for defence” will come in the Comprehensive Spending Review in 2024-25, and “I’m not sure I’ll be here in two years”.
And yet I can’t help yearning for proof that Britain still has it in her, and for a Prime Minister willing to make tough but necessary choices.
His instinct to bring together various reserves to create a ‘Second Line’ was crucial in the First World War; leaders today should take inspiration.
With VJ Day approaching, we should never lose our pride in our shared military history and of our contribution to the vanquishing of tyranny.
The erroneous assumption that hostile states were no longer relevant has rightly been abandoned. Now our Armed Forces need the resources to meet the challenge.
We can be proud of the military campaigns in Iraq and Syria. There remains much to do and we will stay the course.
Unless we know our role in the world, we cannot have a strategy. And without a strategy, we cannot suitably design our armed forces.
The benefits of a secure, stable and loving family are are even more important for military personnel than for the rest of us.
Defeating Daesh will help keep Britain’s streets safe.
Despite the significant Polish contributions over the generations, one will be hard pressed to find any commemoration of their efforts and sacrifice.
Or will the upcoming SDSR be used to change the Government’s plans?
Diverting an RAF flight to supply specially insulated tents to Erbil before winter would save thousands of lives
They were totally unacceptable and shouldn’t happen, but a little part of me understands why they occur.
They were acting on our instructions, at risk to more than their standing. So as I say, they deserve our understanding of the circumstances in which they acted.
It can become the best again, but only if the land forces element is revisited in the Government’s proposal.