Why Starmer’s ‘coalition of the willing’ was doomed to fail
Ever since the beginning of March, when Sir Keir Starmer chaired what was called the ‘leaders meeting on Ukraine’, I…
Trump should be allowed to address Parliament
Labour MPs have been busy this week. No, not running the country – but voicing their opposition to Donald Trump’s…
British fishermen could pay the price for an EU defence deal
You’re being ridiculous, they kept saying. Why do you keep talking about fish? The Brussels lobby could scarcely conceal its…
J.D. Vance’s disdain for Europe has never been clearer
Being vice president of the United States is a strange role. John Nance Garner, Franklin Roosevelt’s understudy for his first…
Why is the army fixing Birmingham’s bin crisis?
‘Join the Army and see the world’ used to be the War Office’s boast. In those inter-war years it meant…
Why did the British defence chief visit China?
On Wednesday, the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, gave a speech to students at the…
The Republican party is dead
On Tuesday, the United States Senate Committee on Finance met to question Jamieson Greer, Donald Trump’s Trade Representative. The subject…
Nato needs to prepare for America’s withdrawal from Europe
Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, has a reputation for genial flexibility and an ability to evade trouble. During his…
Is the RAF right to buy US fighter jets?
When it comes to defence procurement, there are no minor decisions. Complex technology, long time frames and staggering sums of…
Britain’s underfunded army is letting down Nato
The British army is overstretched. This is not breaking news to anyone who takes an interest in defence. Although its…
Don’t count on Trump defending Poland from Russia
The Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, has warned Russia that the alliance would defend Poland against any aggression and would…
What Lord Frost gets wrong about the Tories’ future
It hardly feels like a serious discussion of the Conservative party’s future until Lord Frost has indicated where the leadership…
How many peacekeepers can Europe send to Ukraine?
We may look back to find Sir Keir Starmer partly defined by the phrase ‘coalition of the willing’. It is…
The EU wants to shaft British defence firms
Sir Keir Starmer’s attitude to Europe and the EU is hard to fathom. As a left-leaning human rights lawyer who…
Who are the contenders to be the next ‘C’?
Somewhere in an office on the south bank of the Thames, a man is writing in green ink and signing…
The problem with Starmer’s peacekeeping plan for Ukraine
Sir Keir Starmer has been tireless in his diplomatic efforts to construct a ‘coalition of the willing’ and send a…
What hope does John Healey have of influencing Trump?
In the eight months since he was appointed Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey has undertaken so many foreign…
Who is to blame for the state of Britain’s military?
Old soldiers never die, in the words of the barrack ballad, but increasingly they do not fade away either. With…
Starmer’s defence spending hike isn’t enough
The prime minister has told the House of Commons that defence spending will rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP by…
Can the British army stretch to peace-keeping in Ukraine?
It has been a traumatic week for Europe’s political and military leaders. Last Wednesday, without warning, US President Donald Trump…
Is Starmer about to finally increase defence spending?
There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth. Only three weeks ago,…
Starmer is in denial about the high cost of defence
It is hard to think of a recent prime minister whose first months in office have seen defence in the…
Why didn’t Starmer go to Munich?
The Munich Security Conference, which this week gathers in the Bavarian capital for its 61st edition, is a big deal…
Starmer may come to regret his EU defence pact
Sir Keir Starmer has been on another overseas visit. On his 18th trip in seven months as prime minister, he…
Keir Starmer can’t afford not to hike defence spending
Over the last few years, defence spending has been higher up the political agenda than at any time since the…
