Are British troops prepared to defend Ukraine?
The events of the last few days – the Trump/Putin summit in Anchorage, the visit of European leaders to the…
Starmer’s coalition of the willing has been saved from itself
It is commonplace to accuse politicians of being out of touch. There is often some truth in the charge, and…
Why is Spain trying to pick a fight with Trump on defence?
When I joined the House of Commons Clerk’s Department 20 years ago, there was a helpful list of formerly common…
How will the army’s new Gurkhas fight without any guns?
The British Army’s newest formation, the King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA), has unveiled the cap badge it will wear. This is…
Is David Williams the MoD’s fall guy?
Yesterday the Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that its permanent secretary, David Williams, will be stepping down in a matter…
The problem of striking a defence deal with the EU
The UK-EU summit in London in May, at which a new relationship between the parties was agreed, seems a long…
Germany has become a useful ally for Britain
Yesterday the German Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited London for the first time since he took office in May. He and…
Are we sure the Afghan data debacle won’t happen again?
‘Afghanistan’ was the heading of Defence Secretary John Healey’s statement to the House of Commons on Tuesday – a word…
The Ministry of Defence has dropped the ball on fighter jets
If Defence Secretary John Healey didn’t have an anxious and unsettled weekend, he should have done. The Ministry of Defence…
Britain must wake up to the threat of Iran
The Islamic Republic of Iran is a ‘wide-ranging, persistent and unpredictable’ threat to the United Kingdom. That was the sobering…
Grey zone warfare is here. Britain must catch up
The ‘grey zone’ is the kind of ominous jargon beloved of the military, but for once it is well named:…
Europe must prepare to support Ukraine without America
It is unquestionably the case that people who should have known better were blinded by the Capri-Sun King’s glare when…
Why does Starmer want to grow Britain’s nuclear arsenal?
The government published its National Security Strategy 2025 earlier this week, a strange pushmi-pullyu document building on some policy reviews…
Starmer’s national security strategy fools no one
Sometimes it feels as if the government’s approach to defence and security could be summed up by the venerable punchline…
Why shouldn’t Nato become a subscription service?
Today is the first day of Nato’s annual summit. Some have billed it as potentially the most important meeting in…
Is Britain ready to defend itself against Iranian reprisals?
Operation Midnight Hammer, America’s air and missile strikes against Iran at the weekend, did not involve the United Kingdom. Although…
Palestine Action’s RAF vandalism was no protest
Members of an activist group called Palestine Action have broken into the Royal Air Force’s largest base, RAF Brize Norton in…
‘De-escalation’ won’t work on Iran
As Donald Trump hastily dashed home from the G7 meeting in Canada to deal with the escalating conflict between Iran…
Keir Starmer must raise defence spending higher and faster
Mark Rutte, the former prime minister of the Netherlands, has been secretary general of Nato for less than nine months.…
Can Richard Knighton revamp Britain’s armed forces?
With the Strategic Defence Review finally concluded and published, the government has reportedly chosen its candidate to implement the recommendations and…
What was the point of the Strategic Defence Review?
This weekend has not been a masterclass in political communications by the government. Selected morsels of the Strategic Defence Review…
Is Jonathan Powell unaccountable?
For the past three months there has been an exchange of bureaucratic fire across the 600 yards that separate the…
There is nothing strategic about Starmer’s defence review
This Strategic Defence Review has been a long time coming. Back when he was still shadow defence secretary, John Healey…
Is Britain spending 3 per cent on defence, or not?
Your starter for ten: what is the difference between an ambition, a promise, a certainty and a commitment? If you…
The problem with Trump’s Golden Dome project
Donald Trump did not get to where he is today by taking no for an answer. Mark Carney, the Prime…
