My reading of British history taught me three big lessons.
- The UK has fought far too many continental wars, costing us a huge price in lives and treasure. It was often a bad idea to get involved in struggles that did not affect our core interests as an island with global reach.
- When we had to fight as against Nazi Germany we were on our own for crucial months and needed to have the military capacity for self protection and survival. Being able to make our own weapons and feed our own population were crucial.
- The main threats to us in previous centuries always came from Europe with successful invasions by Vikings, the French, and the Dutch, and unsuccessful by the Spanish, French and Germans in more recent times.
Recently Ukraine has been invaded. That country wishes to become an EU state. Other small states to the east face possible Russian interference if they look to the EU and NATO. The EU and its leading member states with substantial militaries needs to decide on what relationship it plans with Russia and whether it is willing to give Ukraine sufficient financial and military support to give Ukraine a good chance of defeating the Russian invasion.
NATO remains an important pillar of our defence. Led by the dominant contribution of the US we can only rely on NATO for those purposes which the US will endorse. Under Presidents Biden and Trump it is clear the US does not regard NATO as the alliance to intervene against Russia to support Ukraine. As the UK cannot change this view it needs to respect it and base policies on the consequences. We do need the US to continue its offer of protection to NATO members, and therefore need to respond to the US direction .We and the other NATO members also need to do more to defend ourselves.
The UK needs to greatly bolster our own defences. Defence commitments need to be increased, starting with a more comprehensive anti missile and drone defence for our home islands. Our airforce and navy need expansion both for home defence and for possible overseas tasks in conjunction with the two aircraft carriers. The main interests the UK has abroad is to keep open the sealanes and air routes for international trade and to protect UK overseas territories. As a Security Council member of the UN we need to be able to commit to overseas interventions against terrorists, rogue states and threats to allied democracies and trade. As a NATO member we need to work to ensure the continued effectiveness of the NATO guarantee to its members, the continued presence of the US in NATO and to ensure we can help the US defend NATO states.
The UK needs to invest much more in securing our own food and essential supplies at home, and in rebuilding our defence industrial capacity. We can only defend ourselves in an uncertain world if we can grow enough food, and make enough weapons here at home.
January 9, 2026
Good morning.
Against what, and whom ?
The UK is a small island whose only neighbours are both military weak and not interested in starting a war. Our only likely adversary is Argentina. And the treat to the Falkland’s liberty does not come from Buenos Aires but, Whitehall and Westminster.
Russia over land and in the air is not a threat. But at sea one can argue that that is a different story. But even then the threat of invasion is close to zero.
So what and who are the threats to the UK ? We need to ask this question before we start spending large sums of military tech’ which maybe of little to no use.
So, Sir John I put it to both you and my fellow contributors again – so what and who are the threats to the UK ?
I think that is worthy of another diary entry.
Reply There are plenty of malign states and terrorist groups who threaten us regularly
January 9, 2026
Do you not recognise brazen Russian interference with UK affairs, both military and peaceful, here and abroad?
Russian cyber crimes against and versus Chinese much more subtle attacks? Back in the day it was a case of eject spies posing as embassy staff, now actual damage and preparing for more extensive disruption is a daily problem.
January 9, 2026
Things that cannot be defended against with some of the weapons our kind host is proposing.
January 9, 2026
“We can only defend ourselves in an uncertain world if we can grow enough food, and make enough weapons here at home.”
We can do neither and there is no sign that will change in the near future.
We have been dependent on imported food since the days when we exported manufactured goods and imported cheap food. An Empire and strong navy ensured that system worked.
Nowadays, self sufficiency and military strength are just more items on the wishlist of things to do.
The USA has gone from ally mode to strongman ‘do as it pleases’ mode. America itself has an existential crisis. It has insufficient oil of the right quality and the petro dollar is under attack as nations now buy oil without using dollars.
China and the BRICS will only get stronger.
How it all plays out remains to be seen. Military overstretch is the usual downfall of great powers.
January 9, 2026
The BBC have told staff not to use the word ‘kidnapped’ about Maduro. They can use ‘seized’ or ‘ ‘captured’ instead. ‘Kidnapped’ implies illegality !
The Beeb still worried about Trump’s lawsuit maybe?
Meanwhile, White House Homeland Security Adviser (& nutcase) Stephen Miller says diplomatic niceties don’t matter. Strength is what counts.
January 9, 2026
Evidence please?
January 9, 2026
Last evening I was out to dinner with a couple and the female spent most of the evening lecturing us on what a great person 2TK was and how he was revered abroad. Being polite i didn’t argue but I thought if she is a typical labour supporter we’re doomed. She was of the opinion we didn’t need any military and should scrap the Trident programme. I was appalled at the defeatist attitude but all became clear when my hosts told me she was a union rep and social worker
January 9, 2026
Ian
Understand you manners, but afraid I would have had to make some sought of a simple comment.
January 9, 2026
The biggest threat at present (and has been so for a while actually, given the state we are in) comes from within.
Of course it does well to be prepared and capable of defending ourselves, no one can foresee future powerful alliances that could be hostile to us.
Who is it that has made us weak though, and not just in military hardware terms.
The answer to that lies in Parliament, The Lords, Whitehall and just about every institution we have going.
China wouldn’t need to threaten us with its vast military, just cut off all supplies and seeing as how virtually everything comes from there I’m not sure we’d last very long.
January 9, 2026
+1
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.”
― Taylor Caldwell, A Pillar of Iron
January 9, 2026
China will not do that it would bite the hand that feeds the ‘capitalist’ so-called communism success story.
And worse – UK would have to redevelop all the industries and businesses that China dumped on and killed resident competition, with whole hearted ex-PMs support. Misguided political idiots.
January 9, 2026
Mark B
You might find this Unherd podcast interesting. Author and Cambridge professor Helen Thompson, who is described as one of a small number of experts on oil and how it intersects with geopolitics, predicts that after Greenland, Trump will be after The Falklands (Monroe Doctrine).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IuCswB2RLI
January 9, 2026
Indeed and new threats can arise at any time. We already have cyber threats, threats to our inter-connectors data and energy and to our internal stability due to vast immigration levels often from troubled regions often with very different views importing overseas wars to the streets of the UK.
“We can only defend ourselves in an uncertain world if we can grow enough food, and make enough weapons here at home.” indeed but this government has mad energy, industrial and farming policies that hugely damage our ability to do this. We have seen appalling defence procurement and even DEI over ability recruitment. Why fight for a country that actively discriminates against white men and runs wide open borders?
Clearly we can often learn from history but war technology is vastly different from the history you mention.
UK vulnerabilities hugely different too.
Alas our deluded government prefers a vastly expensive and totally counterproductive war against CO2 the gas of life. So scientifically ignorant and deluded are they.
January 9, 2026
The war technology changes even over the past 10 years are vast, let alone from the times of the vikings! History will not teach us all that much about modern warfare and modern vulnerabilities. The main vulnerability currently is this appalling government especially Ed Miliband’s energy lunacy and the governments doom loop economic and industrial agendas. Though this is not that different to that of Cameron, May, Boris and Sunak’s green crap lunacy!
Let us hope we never have to go to war under the moronic leadership of this appalling current government!
January 9, 2026
The continued lunacy of both tory & labour making our military woke, green and net-zero …DEI & climate change officers in every unit; I kid you not
January 9, 2026
+1
January 9, 2026
Not that I intend to Mark but I could easily put together a drone system quite capable of delivering a ‘payload’ from freely available ‘Hobby’ parts. There are others who will be only too aware of these products too.
The Ukrainians have demonstrated how to attack a military airfield by driving a lorry up and using a drone swarm to destroy multi-million dollar aircraft. They have attacked and severely damaged Russian ships at sea and in port. They have changed the very nature of land warfare with the use of cheap drone technology and this is just one facet of the new technologies that make us all vulnerable.
Just imagine that the IRA had had access to drones. My wife was 200 yards away from an IRA car bomb explosion in London many years ago. She’s never forgotten it. Car bombs can be mitigated against (to some extent) by fenceing and barriers. Imagine the damage someone could someone do with a flying bomb?
There are many who wish us harm – individuals, terrorist groups and malign states. We are far more vulnerable than many realise. I’m not sure what is going to change this apparent indifference to our national safety but I’m fairly sure something will. Let’s hope that “something” is not really catastrophic.
January 9, 2026
Terrorist groups are not going to be defeated by greater defence spending – they’re already here.
Reply Depends on the group. There are nasty well organised international groups threatening our shipping that need countering by a professional military.
January 9, 2026
‘they’re already here’
Spot on Roy
January 9, 2026
Reply to reply
I do not doubt it. But who are they and in what form do these supposed threats come in ?
This is not a trick question to catch you and others but, a real desire to put the ‘horse’ before the ‘cart’ so we do not waste money (eg aircraft carriers) on things we do not need and spend little or no money on things we do.
January 9, 2026
If you wish for peace, prepare for war.
January 9, 2026
@Mark B – if today you don’t know the threat, what about tomorrow.
Both China and Russia have the ability to cut off the UK’s food chain, then what. Although the threat there is the UK Parliament they are cutting out our food production and industry forcing the UK to totally reliant on others.
But even not knowing the threat, and with the long lead times to prepare, is a hostile entity going to wait the 10 years plus for the UK to be ready?
As said elsewhere, ships could save money by not having lifeboats. But is that a clever or stupid thing to do?
January 9, 2026
Wise words of wisdom.
January 9, 2026
Too many wars? Well perhaps. Errors of judgment made by earlier governments are easier to see perhaps in hindsight. But sweeping those errors under the carpet by the perpetrators, with no analysis or acceptance, allows the benefit for history students endless study and pontification time in future periods.
January 9, 2026
We also need to determine if paying £32 billion to maintain a US naval base in the Indian Ocean is at all sensible. My view is it isn’t and if Starmer’s Chagos deal goes through we should tell USA if they want to continue using the base they should reimburse us for all costs. Ideally that deal doesn’t go through but even then we should sell the base to USA and withdraw any UK involvement.
Reply Must stop the give away.We also need the base.
January 9, 2026
We must stop this appalling £bn Chagos lunacy. Why has Trump not told the appalling Starmer to kill this “mad” deal now?
January 9, 2026
Why do we need a base in the middle of the Indian ocean ? How about the Pacific Ocean – why haven’t we got one there ? UK’s interest in Asia-Pacific is close to zero.
Reply Not so. We have important trade routes to help keep safe.
January 9, 2026
@Roy Grainger – but not giving something away, that you already own, that gives you a base to keep your essential sea lanes open is prudent, sensible logical. A lot is made of the USA’s use of these islands but they are also used by the UK
January 9, 2026
To your 3 big lessons I would add that failures of diplomacy have caused us to enter into costly wars we could have avoided.
In the past we often used armed force to grab resources and territory we coveted. We’ve recently been demoted to assisting others in doing this. We have also fought defensive wars when being similarly attacked.
Our offensive war days are over. We should also drop the pretence that we have moral superiority over other nations and must interfere with their affairs. We should focus on fortress UK and not engage in others’ wars. Our interests are in peaceful mutual trading.
The great powers are the US, China and Russia. They will decide and impose the overall security and trade framework for the world. I hope it allows us to scratch a living. If our place on the UN security council disappears our establishment might focus more on home welfare and trade. Meanwhile the EU is a dangerous would-be regional hegemon and a big threat to us. NATO is a destabilising force too – it relies on instability for its very survival as an organisation. We should pull out of both (yes, both – BRINO).
January 9, 2026
Russia is ruining itself trying to maintain its military capability. From the viewpoint of GDP, the UK, France, Germany and Italy are comparable powers.
The US and China on the other hand can afford to be superpowers.
January 9, 2026
With India coming up
January 9, 2026
Russia is thriving. Has high interest rates to quash the military spend overheating the economy. Interestingly their mortgage market is not impacted by base rates, it’s protected so that people don’t lose their homes.
More sophisticated and humane than the U.K. therefore.
January 9, 2026
@Wanderer, the best defence is being prepared for offensive as the saying goes. The UK’s situation is its Parliament deliberately and maliciously blocks the UK people and the country to have the right to just have a defence. So its not the offensive capability per se its the whole shabang, the 2 are closely tied together
Are you honestly suggesting that diplomacy would have solved WW2? Diplomacy failed in the Falklands the Argentines decided the UK was full of muppets and the time to talk was over. WW1 15+ million deaths because 3 guys from the same family went for ‘chest beating’
The point being made is nobody knows, the loser is the one that doesn’t have a backstop, in the case of today’s discussion the means to defend. Why do people have home insurance, life insurance, car insurance, not a single person that pays for the facilities expects to use them. Although Parliament takes the Taxpayer money to do just that as their principle duty ‘to keep us safe’ they refuse to spend it on the most basics of insurance
January 9, 2026
Clear and sensible comments in your Post today John.
Defence is not really complicated when you think it through properly, expansionism certainly is !
In very simplistic terms, anyone needs to work on the basis similar to protecting your own house, and do the basics first, before getting into the very expensive equipment/systems.
Designate your boundary’s in a clear manner, and protect them with strong fences, allowing only chosen access points.
Make all doors and windows secure, and light (with movement detectors) all access points at night.
Make it obvious and clear that you can see and record all visitors, and only let in those whom you know or feel you can trust, and have an active alarm system.
As a Country we are failing at the very first step, with failing border control, we are compounding that error in failing to refuse entry to undesirables, and by leaving the doors unlocked.
Yes of course we need the right weapons and equipment, but if the very basics are wrong, all the equipment in the World will prove useless.
Thousands of cheap drones would seem to be now more effective than a very expensive tank at the same cost !
January 9, 2026
@Berkshire Alan. – I get your point. But the UK is an Island Nation, and the malicious intent from our Parliament has taken away our very survival. We depend on long communication channels to far flung place around the World. They have set out to deny our basic food production, so it has to be imported. Then there is energy to keep the lights on being dependant on the routes its import from. Then basic manufacturing, its been expelled from the Country, who would have though the UK can no longer make warships to keep our sea lanes open without first importing the steel to make them. Its a massive list all illustrating Parliaments distaste for the UK and its people.
Its true that some of the things we are now forced by Parliament, our MPs, to import could come from within, just think of the time frame to normalise the country once more. Any war today has surrender the uppermost solution in the minds we pay and empower to protect us.
January 9, 2026
All very prescient thoughts Sir John. You failed to mention two other key areas crucial to our ability to defend these islands and commitments to allies.
1. Access to reliable continuous energy supplies without which our capacity to manufacture arms is limited.
2. Having a government and civil servants committed to National independence and sovereignty.
Ask yourself if those two conditions essential to defence of Britain are present within the current administration?
Was it present during Cameron’s, May’s, Johnson’s or Sunak’s administration?
Without seeing a tangible desire to defend our interests and our culture from Westminster or Whitehall what hope is there of finding that core policy necessary to do the job. Who is leading from the front?
January 9, 2026
@Rod Evans – surrender seemed to be their uppermost answer to everything
January 9, 2026
Self sufficiency is today’s message.
A well-trained military that can defend our shores, gas and electricity supplies to power our homes and industry and food production to feed our own.
Successive governments diverted money for military and increased the price of electricity and gas for our industry for doctrinal purposes and to subsidise and encourage claims from an increasingly dependent on “diverse” population.
The only way to put this right and pay for it is to reduce the benefits bill (not pensions which are contributions based) and the dependance of the population and to spend those funds on a well-trained military and reducing green subsidies and taxes.
January 9, 2026
‘Self sufficiency is today’s message.’
Today and EVERY day!
January 9, 2026
god damn right
January 9, 2026
@Narrow Shoulders – @Mickey Taking – the first and only message. And those we empower and pay to keep us safe, create the framework for self-reliance and resilience what are they doing? They are thinking of new ways to fight the people, the Nation.
January 9, 2026
The biggest threat we face, without any shadow of doubt, it the dependence we have on imported fossil fuels. The fossil fuel lobby and it’s right-wing fellow travellers couldn’t care less about defending the gas/electricity/data interconnectors, LNG tankers and refineries we need, that’s our problem. Despite the obvious evidence that the Russians are actively mapping them
If we want energy security we have to defend these critical infrastructure assets. Cameron, Osbourne and Foxy’s malign 2010 SDSR eviscerated our defence capabilities – particularly the Army – and every government since has cut defence and the military-industrial capabilities we once had, including this one, to the bone
Time is short. The war criminal Putin has no intention of agreeing to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Last night he was firing Kinzal hypersonic missiles with half ton warheads at civilian apartment blocks and a hospital in Kyiv.
Obama, Biden and Trump all refused to involve NATO against the Russian aggression in eastern Europe. Once again, we risk standing alone. Only this time we are bankrupt, we have no gold and nothing left to sell. And the smallest army for the past 250 years – with no artillery.
January 9, 2026
All your posts SG, forget that fossil fuels do more than just be a part of the generation of electricty.
They power ships, areoplanes, big construction machinery and they power all heavy industry like steel, brass, aluminium making, ceramics and glass making, the casting and forging industries, pharmacuticals, plastics, brick making, lubricants, and cosmetics.
Over 10,000 different products and processes need fosdil fuels.
This is why despite huge sums being invested in renewables, the demand for fossil fuels has not reduced.
There is no need for “the right wing fossil fuel lobbby” to do much because fossil fuels are simply vital for the future survival of mankind and therefore continue to attract a huge natural demand.
PS
We are partly dependent on imports because people like you refuse to allow us to use our own homegrown sources of fossil fuels.
And have been campaigning against the use of nuclear for decades.
January 9, 2026
Mmmn- one question comes immediately to mind SG. Why would we need “LNG Tankers” (or inter-connectors) if we fracked our own gas? I won’t even bother asking about our coal reserves
BTW – I still have my own personal ‘strategic’ coal supply available for when the power fails.
As at 12.15pm — Solar 3%, Wind 28.9%, Gas 34.2%, Imports 16.9% of total 48.336 GW.
So ‘Renewables 32% – Gas & Imports 51% (+ Biomass & Nuclear @ 14%)
In the meanwhile, our gas fired boiler is busy keeping us cosy – given that it is only 4C outside…
January 9, 2026
@Martin in Bristol – @IanT. also ignoring the fact the a windmill only turns because of its lubrication. The majority of the clothes on peoples backs need the petrochemicals to create basic materials, its a massive list
January 10, 2026
Good point Ian.
Thanks
January 9, 2026
Whilst I accept that historically we have involved ourselves in far too many European conflicts, in recent years the conflicts we should have stayed well out of were further afield: Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria.
The consequences of these overseas campaigns are visible in every town in the UK; are costing us a fortune and are keeping MI5 very busy trying to keep tabs on the dangerous extremists who have either been radicalised here or imported.
The Establishment has been steadily weakening our defences for decades: our Army wouldn’t even fill Wembley Stadium and our Navy is a shadow of its former self. They are making us entirely dependent on foreign suppliers for energy and food. I presume this has all been part of the Establishment’s long-term plan to sink us into a European Superstate: make us defenceless and we will have “no choice.”
Labour certainly isn’t going to do anything to reverse that. And I’m not convinced the Not-a-Conservative-Party would either.
January 9, 2026
I agree with Donna.
January 9, 2026
Well said, and it should be voiced every day in the Commons and Lords.
January 9, 2026
@Donna- ah, yes those we empower and pay to keep us safe & secure, have a framework for self-reliance and resilience. How are those individuals living up to the basic duties?
January 9, 2026
I Agree Sir John, particularly so your final paragraph.
January 9, 2026
@James Morley – agree. It does appear those we have empowered and paid for the duty have gone AWOL
January 9, 2026
It seems very surreal that we would take seriously our Security Council duties to commit to overseas intervention on terrorist groups.
With porous borders and a mantra of ‘they only want a better life’ and all the human rights excuses, we are unable to protect ourselves in our own home from terrorists.
For heavens sake, we let them in and have those who work night and day to ensure they stay, regardless.
No one knows how many are already here and what future atrocities could be committed.
January 9, 2026
Perhaps we and certain other NATO countries ought to ask why it is that Poland apparently is capable of spending more of their GDP on defence than we are. I suggest that the increase in ‘welfare’ spending for illegal migrants might have something to do with it.
Furthermore – why would young people want to defend this country and culture? Haven’t they been taught and told for yers that they/we put be ashamed of being British, of being white? That our culture is racist etc etc etc – why would ‘a good person’ defend such a place? and why would anyone defend a government which despises them and has made no bones about destroying land and culture?
If you really want to re-create an Armed Force, then I suggest a radical change in culture must come first
January 9, 2026
Why? Well Poland lives with the threat all the time, we turn away from reality and hide head in the sand.
January 9, 2026
Poland refuses Mozlem immigration ‘asylum seekers’. It’s crime rates have not increased therefore low spending on the judiciary too.
January 9, 2026
@Viv Evas – it would appear Poland is doing what is right for the defence of their People, Country and not doting to some misguided percentage thought up by unaccountable bureaucrats in far flung lands.
January 9, 2026
Absolutely Sir John.
Successive Governments have relaxed defence spending so much that our armed forces are now in a coma. Our “Prime Minister” likes posing on the world stage, making promises he cannot deliver. Actions speak so much louder than words. Listen to Starmer but watch where Reeves is spending our money (e.g. rapidly increasing debt).
Very few of these new (and rather silly) Labour MPs remember post-war London or they would be clamouring for action. We should co-operate with the European countries but not become dependant on them. It’s well past time to get our Defence house in order and to do so as a matter of urgency!
I’ve been fortunate to live in a relatively “quiet” time. I hope that my children will continue to do so but best not to take any chances and be ready if we need to be. You don’t tend to get a second chance in these matters.
January 9, 2026
@ianT +1
January 9, 2026
How. about first securing our borders against illegal entry? Starmer (aka our man from Davos) seems set on a mission to ruin this once great country.
January 9, 2026
It’s not the enemy far away we need to be worried about, but the one that’s waved in and put up in 4 star hotels. An army assembling that hates the UK and our way of life.
January 9, 2026
@Brian Tomkinson – then who will pay for the luxury life style of 2TK’s buddies in the legal profession?
January 9, 2026
The key sentence, to me, in this post comes in the third paragraph: “As the UK cannot change this view it needs to respect it and base policies on the consequences”. Instead we have a Prime Minister who seems determined to land our diminished military forces with commitments they cannot hope to meet, just to make himself look good on the international stage, which is clearly far more important to him than the well being of his country’s citizens and their national interest.
January 9, 2026
Europe will set up its own defense with or without Britain it has no choice it’ll be a NATO minus the US – looking at Ukraine they can see what’s in store if they don’t prepare. Then looking the other way they can see the madness coming from that part and know’s it’s on its own. The irony is that the sanest person of the whole lot today is probably Xi of China – how Britain fits in with all of this is not yet clear but past glories by themselves won’t be enough – fresh thinking is called for – when the Crimea War broke out in the 1850’s it took everyone by surprise as there hadn’t been a war in Europe since Napoleon 1815 – there should be no surprises.
January 9, 2026
@ Lenny. Tulsi Gabbard recently said “The truth is that US intelligence assesses that Russia does not even have the capability to conquer and occupy Ukraine, let alone invade and occupy Europe.”
She further noted that intelligence briefings to policymakers indicate Russia seeks to avoid a larger war with NATO,
January 9, 2026
Reply – doesn’t matter – the Russians have a big chip on the shoulder about western europe ever since Peter the Great time – if boils down to them not getting the respect they think they deserve – Russia will alway’s be a problem so we have to be prepared
Then consider that Putin spent 60 billion dollars on preparation for the Sochi games 2014 but very few western leaders turned up for the opening ceremony – only Rutte PM of the Netherlands and Britain had Princess Anne there but nobody else excep the ambassador.. It was supposed to be a showcase of everything great about Russia but am sure it was a big disappointment – anyway within a few days the little green soldiers with no markings appeared on the streets of Sebastobol and that was the start.
January 9, 2026
On the subject of defence, I don’t think it can be discussed without some refence to our nuclear capability. That is the main mechanism which has prevented us from being invaded since 1952 and it still does.
The UK has an estimated 225 nuclear warheads with a max 100 kiloton yield each. That is a max 22,500 kiloton of yield in aggregate. By comparison, the Hiroshima bomb was 15kt. We therefore have the equivalent yield of approx 1,500 Hiroshima bombs.
The Trident delivery system is a US created and US maintained system and the warheads are British made. The PM has total operational independence from the US over the use of these weapons. For example, he does not have to get permission to launch nor where to target etc.
We use Trident as having a 100% British independent nuclear programme (as we did until 1958) is very expensive. It is more efficient to use Trident with our exceptionally close friend and trusted ally.
Given we have the equivalent yield of 1,500 Hiroshima bombs at out disposal I do not believe Britain will ever be physically invaded. That said, I agree we need to materially improve our other areas of our defence to meet those defence requirements.
January 9, 2026
You talk of full confidence in our freedom to retaliate after a first strike attack by Putin or whoever.
I would like to see our Defence Minister and Starmer both declare UK readiness to press the red button in response to a nuclear attack.
January 9, 2026
Trident nuclear deterrent costs est £205 billion
January 9, 2026
I see CND claim that amount but less bias estimates from the British American Security Information Council
are GBP 34bn for total replacement costs. Total costs including deployment between 2028 and 2062 = GBP 101.5bn (ie 35 years at GBP 2.9bn per year, page 2 below link).
However even if it were GBP 205bn I would still advocate paying it:
https://basicint.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/uktridentreplacementfactsheet-june2014.pdf
January 9, 2026
@Paul Freedman – yes MAD (mutually Assured destruction) has a part, when it is operational. The UK is now in a lull period, short of boats and men all stretched beyond sane limits. they are running on luck. However as an import only nation, for just food, and the fuel to keep the lights the country can be forced to surrender because of Parliaments neglect without anyone ever having to invade
January 9, 2026
Until the UK can Defend itself, even just its borders it should keep out of other peoples affairs. Spending hard earned taxpayer money on other peoples mainly political ideology should be far removed from the thoughts of Parliament until the have made the UK capable, fit, resilient and self-reliant.
If Parliament thinks it can short change the UK as if all else fails someone else, someone else’s taxpayer, will ride to the rescue, they are in neglect of their priority, duty and purpose.
Talk of one day achieving a % of GDP on defence is pure nonsense, the priority is first to achieve a defence capability that keeps us secure, it has nothing to do with a percentage but everything to do with what is needed. If we can pay work-from-home civil servants more all 6million plus of them yet cant afford those that get less pay to defend the country 24/7 – we have become a sick society. The media recently reported that the army stands at around 72,000 trained men, that number couldn’t fill Wembley Stadium, yet the Country has 84,000 parking wardens.
January 9, 2026
A country that does not know, does not know what it does not know! In other words, we don’t know what threats to the UK may come from countries and situations that we cannot imagine today.
The way to stay out of wars is to have a strong Army, Navy and Air Force, plus a UK missile defence system to deter any aggressors. Equally, our second priority should be to grow as much food as possible, to get as close to self-sufficiency as possible. Looking only, say 25 years ahead, can the USA sustain its armed forces while running up horrendous levels of debt? Will China become more aggressive and want to conquer other countries? Could (extreme Islamic terrorism? ed) take over several states in the Middle East, or even in Europe and threaten us? Could a terrorist group armed with nuclear weapons threaten us? Will the EU become so powerful that it will want to take over the UK by force? Who knows what the future may bring?
January 9, 2026
@Keith from Leeds – that’s why sitting back with your fingers crossed in hope, that’s in hope, other may rescue you is obscene. Having a Parliament that is unable to do its first duty to those that elect them, to keep the people and the country safe, is a parliament of free-loading lazy good for nothing that should all resign.
Simple analogy, why do Ships have lifeboats? They could save money by not having them and hope there is someone else that will come to the rescue. That’s what the UK Parliament is doing to its people and the nation neglecting them all, and perusing personal, very personal ego. The money is there, they are just throwing it away. Their neglect doesn’t save money it just makes the ‘bill’ more horrendous
January 9, 2026
I think NATO is finished. USA has withdrawn into itself politically while hitting out in all directions. Venezuela, Colombia next (Cuba?). Greenland/Denmark (NATO members (and also our neighbours)). There is total disregard in USA for NATO and anything European.
To replace NATO?
Three groups of nations (who should undertake to cooperate and even train together):
1. USA
2. CANZUK
3. EU
UK/CANZUK should cooperate on 6th generation combat aircraft (pilotless which saves a huge amount of weight), submarinea and drones (à la Ukraine). Also: replace 5 eyes with 4 eyes (we can’t trust the 5th member ….).
January 9, 2026
Greenland is NOT either a member of the EU or a NATO member.
Denmark is a subservient state and in effect does not exist as an entity.
Why is everyone so keen on preserving Danish Imperialism?
January 9, 2026
For many years Germany/Spain/France have joined to develop a 6th Generation fighter, while UK/Italy/Japan have been developing Tempest.
Canada bordering US does not have enough skin in the need, and why would NZ/AUS think they need defending to that degree?
January 9, 2026
@Robert Bywater – what is finishing off NATO is the lazy unelected unaccountable bureaucrats in the Country with the largest population just sitting back and letting the US taxpayer and its citizens do not only all the work but paying the bulk of the bills.
In the first instance each Nation should be able to support and create it own defence capability, it is never about sitting back and expecting other to do the heavy lifting. After that then yes mutual cooperation might be a thing.
Given the time frame from initiation to deploying a defence capability running into decades and as @Keith from Leeds intimates how and who do you know were the threats will come from? No one can predict tomorrow.
Another illustration, the weather, some areas of the Country have seen a bit of wind and a bit of snow overnight. Its not an unusual event, it happens, how prepared were those employed to do a job? The advice being circulated is to stay at home. On that theory if we are attacked overnight the best advice from our ever prepared Parliament is to surrender. Mind you with the lazy free-loaders thinking they are doing their job, any ruler would be better(sarc)
January 9, 2026
Russia has finished off NATO. It is no longer the enemy – don’t you read as Putin says, the US state that Russia is not the enemy. Russian citizens however name Germany as their no one enemy.
Anyway, NATO is redundant because there is no enemy to the chagrin of Roote.
January 9, 2026
“We can only defend ourselves in an uncertain world if we can grow enough food, and make enough weapons here at home.”
For this we need abundant supplies of cheap, reliable, high quality, easily defendable, small footprint (high energy density), low maintenance, low manpower, highly flexible, long lifetime, storable energy. Instead we are transitioning to expensive, unreliable, chaotically intermittent, low grade (high entropy and high footprint), weather dependent, high maintenance, high manpower, inflexible, short lifetime, utterly undefendable, renewables when there is no way to store electricity. A recipe for economic and military suicide, which of course is why it is pursued.
January 9, 2026
We should be investing a lot more in diplomacy – that would pay greater dividends than trying to keep the Ukraine war going until the EU and the UK had armies to match Russia.
I simply do not trust the motives of the leading 3 of the willing. There is far more behind their unconditional support of Ukraine. With a little give and take this war could be over, but not when Zelensky thinks he can keep going because he has friends.
Do we want to see the end of this war or not?
It seems to me there are some working aggressively towards ww3. They imagine they can contain the fighting within Ukraine and Russia if we put feet on the ground. Any of our boots active on Ukraine’s killing field will see Russia attack us directly. It seems that is what some want to encourage.
We need to stop all of this aggressive talk against Russia and start finding solutions to resolve the issues around the treaty, and end the fighting.
January 9, 2026
@Harry. +1. We should lose our Russophobia, it’s blinding us to alternative possibilities for getting a new security framework in Europe.
January 9, 2026
We (the west) has one (1) remaining treaty with Russia, START. It expires in a matter of weeks. Russia has suggested we agree to maintain the limits nothwithstanding.
Trump can’t agree ….
January 9, 2026
Talk is cheap and has been tried endless times, You completely ignore Putin’s disgraceful invasion and the natural defence mindset of Ukrainians to defend….so you’d just roll over and have Russians tickle your belly would you?
January 9, 2026
Russia was taunted for decades. Catch up.
January 9, 2026
I’m ignoring nothing, especially the awful way that Ukraine treated Russian descended countrymen, prompting the war.
What most people are ignoring is the way that our warmongering government is determined to escalate the war!
January 9, 2026
“The UK has fought far too many continental wars, costing us a huge price in lives and treasure. It was often a bad idea to get involved in struggles that did not affect our core interests as an island with global reach.”
The war in Ukraine was caused by the EU’s ambition to expand further eastwards. We were caught up with this EU craving when members of the EU with PM, Cameron, “heir to Blair”, making a speech in Kazakhstan in 2013 declaring that the EU should extend further into the former USSR and reach from the Atlantic to the Urals. Unfortunately our current PM is still desirous of EU expansion with full UK involvement.
January 9, 2026
Meanwhile thousands from unstable nations pour into our country many as adults with preconceived ideas of what they consider is right and what is wrong . The enemy within.
If we want to keep up with advanced warfare then, in addition to hardware, hi-tech is the way to go but all too often our fledging companies are snapped by foreign countries. Where’s Harold Wilson and his white heat of technology when you need him?
How did the Americans plunge Caracas into darkness?
January 9, 2026
Same was a Berlin has been in darkness for 4 days?
January 9, 2026
European countries, with the UK, played a key role in bringing down Napoleon.
UK + Austrians + Russia + Prussia + Spain + Portugal + Swedes!
Without such cooperation, the mighty Napoleon might have taken over the whole of Europe, including UK.
January 9, 2026
Russia and Wellington defeated Napoleon. Some small Germanic states and Portugal, which became and ally of the U.K., the first, made a contribution. A single battle here and there, a battalion or two.
Current EU states did NOT defeat Napoleon.
It’s like suggesting that The Resistance confirmed France as an ally. It was NOT, Vichy France was easily as bad as Germany, just not as organized.
Churchill was far too magnanimous in victory.
January 9, 2026
UK is the best. No doubt there.
But you agree that Russia also played a significant role. Therefore, by admitting this, you’re admitting another European country played a key role ALONG WITH the UK. So UK not alone!
But let’s not diminish the role that the Prussians and Austrians also played. I don’t know much about the Portuguese in all this. Take your word for it. But I also know that the Spanish – the Spanish Ulcer to Napoleon – also played their role too – along with UK and the others.
So I think my point is pretty clear and correct. Not sure how anyone could disagree with this?!
(And which fits into my overall political argument – the UK needs to be sovereign but have strong geopolitical relations with its nearest neighbours – find it hard how anyone could disagree with this! It’s not just common sense but something that we can learn from history too!)
January 9, 2026
Russia was attacked by Napoleon, as it was by the Axis powers. Russia is enormous and with weather conditions alone are capable of defeating invaders. Russia is a European country of course.
However it is only ever Britain and her empire that fights evil WITHOUT BEING ATTACKED.
During the Napoleonic wars (which was an away game for Wellington with all those disadvantages) we also put down the slave trade in the west. The Arabs have and still do trade slaves of course.
So while Russia always makes a terrible contribution to these constant attacks by expansionist Europe even to the present day, 27 million in WWII, they only ever fight because they are attacked. This time by the NATO backed comic, Zelensky in Novurussiya.
All the allies apart from Britain were attacked and fought subsequently, even down to The French Resistance.
Britain lost fewer people even as a percentage because we were NOT invaded.
We have our place in the big 3, Russia, USA and ourselves, because of our moral courage, brilliance (station X), and ingenuity. The USA had its place because it made the critical manufacturing contribution and added the fresh ‘boots on the ground’ at the psychological moment. Russia has its place because it dealt with 164 Divisions of Nazis, (Serbia dealt with at least 20 Nazi Divisions. The French surrendered straight away.)
Only Russia is still being attacked and is still fighting. We have joined the Axis powers.
January 9, 2026
Wellingtons key troops were mostly Irishmen(as was Wellington himself, although he did not like to be reminded about it). The forlorne hope troops in the Peninsula war, Connaught Rangers, Inniskillings, Royal Irish Dragoons, 87th, 88th etc plus those Irishmen serving in English and Scottish line regiments
They also fought on the French side as it was an important employment opportunity.
Englishmen did not want the poor rewards and harsh conditions. Irishmen had few other employment options at the time.
Prussia was hugely important at Waterloo. Germany was not yet a united country.
January 9, 2026
Wellington pointed out that if you are born in a stable, it does not make you a horse.
Too difficult a concept even for JR in the modern, backward era.
Ireland was English at the time, with the real Irish in the Gaeltachts to this day.
Few from Ireland ever fight against the British forces, but there are some madmen in Ireland as there are in mainland Britain. They are mainly to be found in the Dail and on the Phoenix Park.
January 9, 2026
Nonsense.
There were English in The Pale, but outside was Irish.
The government changed the law so that Catholics could join the British armed forces (they were a large part of the Royal Navy too,when press gangs proved insufficient).
The reason for the law change was to address the shortfall in army numbers by enlisting Irish Catholics.
January 10, 2026
Sorry, but a majority of the 30% of Irishmen who fought for Wellington (anglo-Irish born and raised in Ireland and would have considered himself Irish – Anglo-Irish) and in Waterloo were Catholics from Dublin and the countryside including Connaught (The Connaught Rangers were a famous regiment in the British army from the west of Ireland). My grandfather who was of mixed Catholic Irish and Protestant Anglo-Irish stock – like the famous Edmund Burke – and ultra unionist who served for 30 years in the British army, which he loved, was very proud (as was the Duke of Wellington) of how Irishmen in general – both Catholic and Protestant – played a big part in the British armed forces (including the Catholic Kerryman Creen who famously accompanied Scott and Shackleton to the Antartic!). And Ireland would still be part of the United Kingdom – or at least in dominian status – today if it hadn’t been for a minority of stupid extremists amongst Catholic and Protestant Irish and the British (not forgetting the great legacy of some / many British in Ireland – and not forgetting that deep down most Catholic Irish love the UK and the British). But a minority of stupid extremists ruined it all.
January 10, 2026
And don’t forget Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane, from Dublin – a famous Irish flying ace of WWII who became the youngest Wing Commander ever at 21, with 28 confirmed kills before being killed at a young age in the English Channel in 1942. HERO!
God bless Paddy
January 9, 2026
The way to defeat both Russian and Chinese aggression, and prevent any hot miliary conflict, is to do as we did to defeat the USSR in the Cold War and that is to run a strong economy and build up a strong and well equipped military force. This requires first and foremost access to cheap, abundant, reliable and storable energy and explains why the socialists are working for the West to transition to expensive, unreliable, chaotically intermittent, low energy density, and hence undefendable, renewables with no plans for any grid-scale storage.
January 9, 2026
There are also huge potential problems with China’s economy and politics. And with the next generation who won’t want to work as hard as their grandparents / parents fresh off the fields as agricultural peasant workers. We mustn’t be over-awed by them. But at same time need to respect them a lot too whilst competing with them.
January 9, 2026
China says it numbers under 500 million. It is industrialised and their factories are often manless.
We can’t compete with them in manufacturing power even if we pumped gas.
We also suffer falling IQ rates, so we can’t compete educationally.
We are in big trouble, but we do still breed quality racehorses and dogs. So we know how it works though maybe politicians need instruction from Crufts, apparently.
January 9, 2026
“When we had to fight as against Nazi Germany we were on our own for crucial months….”
Yes, “ourselves alone” ….. along with the Empire.
I wonder how many of the Commonwealth countries, which have received £billions in Aid and support over the last 7 decades, would stand behind us next time?
I would hazard a guess 3: Australia, NZ and Canada. But I’m not overly confident about Canada.
January 9, 2026
Those are Dominions, not merely commonwealth countries.
Their citizens are subjects of the Monarch.
South Africa was also a Dominion.
January 9, 2026
I take your point …. but I think my observation still stands.
January 9, 2026
We were British people no matter which ‘county’ we came from.
In addition there were a few great men like Smits and Sailor Malan who were not British, but you can count them on the fingers of one hand.
January 9, 2026
World War 2 is a great example of British at their best. But that is not an argument to be isolationist. That is a fallacious argument. Look at how Europe came together in the Crusades and against Napoleon and in the huge battles of Vienna and Lepanto and the profound consequences if the enemies had won.
January 9, 2026
Europe is the enemy Ed.
January 9, 2026
UK can only survive in a modern conflict if it can run its own computer systems. having the support outsourced to india is a bad plan, foreign workers here doing it equally bad. bad idea to use cloud compute where the physical underlying computers are anywhere but the UK or USA.
January 9, 2026
Ignored by the MSM, the dramatic news is that the Persians look as if they have overturned Islam and are about to restore their Shah.
The Ayatollah is said to have fled.
This dramatically alters the whole Middle East power play. Israel is on the ground in Iran helping the People on whom the State has fired live ammunition. Expect Ed M to cite a repayment to Cyrus the Great, and for once he might be right.
Musk has provided starlink internet connection as the State blacked out all communication.
What a year! The criminal in Caracas removed to the overwhelming joy of the citizens of that poor nation, and a massive defeat for Uncompromising Islam.
International Islam will be watching the tactics that defeated the Ayatollahs.
Beware they DON’T repeat them across the west – they march across Australian cities chanting that ‘they await instruction’.
That is our next war. The army invited in by the British Government and kept fed and warm – in fighting condition in fact. Only a blind man can’t see it. Nuclear bombs will not wash.
January 9, 2026
Current joke in Teheran is that nobody knows where the Ayatollahs are – except Israel.
January 9, 2026
Don’t answer your pager
January 9, 2026
Probably on their way to a “free” luxury hotel in the UK.
January 9, 2026
Well the leaders of Hesbollah have council houses in Slough.
No wonder the UAE is no longer sponsoring education in the U.K. on the grounds of it being dominated by the Moslem Brotherhood and therefore too dangerous.
January 9, 2026
Russia reports that it expects the Iranian Ayatollah regime to fall shortly.
This is a MASSIVE VICTORY. The whole nation is out, women burning their black tents of torture in the streets and flaunting their bare heads.
Surely we can deal with the moronic idiots in Westminster? Banning them from pubs and hairdressers has worked a treat. The whole private sector should send them to Coventry and refuse to serve them completely. A targeted general strike.
January 9, 2026
I do hope it comes to pass
January 9, 2026
Even better: Lynn ‘Putin will win in Ukraine in days’.
January 9, 2026
He did win. But we continue to fund the press ganging and arming of the loser state.
To date ever war stopped when one side ran out of bullets. Not this war. That’s why McGregor estimates 2 million dead.
You happy with that? You want the Edelweiss brigade to win?
We know what you are in that case.
January 9, 2026
Since WW2 America has been involved in dozens of overseas conflicts, regime change operations and coups. We have chosen involvement with some of them with disastrous results, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan in particular. President George Bush’s 2008 announcement at a NATO summit in Bucharest that Georgia and Ukraine would join NATO resulted in strong and immediate protest from Russia. In 2014 US, with EU support orchestrated a coup in Midan resulting in the overthrow of the elected President. Fighting began in the Eastern Provinces. Western duplicity and a refusal to negotiate with Russia eventually led to the 2022 invasion and subsequent conflict. This could and should have been avoided if diplomacy had been practiced effectively by our politicians. Why didn’t UK leadership stand up to Bush, Obama and Biden and tell them there must be no more Eastern expansion of NATO? We’ve allowed ourselves to become a vassal of America. The recent ‘theatre’ in Paris agreeing to place French and UK troops in Ukraine, when there is a settlement, will never happen. NATO in Ukraine is a red line for Russia, indeed it’s the cause of the war! The basic problem for us is our political leaders think they are far more powerful and effective than they really are. We have huge national debt, our southern border is wide open, our welfare budget is massive, immigration is out of control, our once cherished health service is broken and our military capability is a shadow of it’s former self. Starmer strutting around overseas making irrelevant pledges and expensive commitments eg Chagos & Ukraine is completely out of step with reality and the needs of British people.
January 9, 2026
Chagos is Britain, its never been anything else, its never belonged to anyother country,therefore they aren’t ‘out of step with reality’ ….Chagos is as british as Wales
January 9, 2026
But than again ….we did give Northern Ireland to the EU
January 9, 2026
yeah…British in name only….
January 9, 2026
You mean like the U.K.? British in name only? Take a walk in London for confirmation.
January 9, 2026
From 1715 to 1810, the Chagos Islands were part of France’s Indian Ocean Possessions. In those days they were administered from Isle de France (later renamed Ile Maurice then Mauritius). The first Europeans there were Portuguese (Basas de Chagas) in the 16th c. The first colonists were French starting from Isle Bourbon (Reunion) in 1715.
The Treaty of Paris in 1814 gave the Chagos Islands to the UK.
January 9, 2026
Here we have people In UK still talking in terms about the US as our exceptional ally and friend etc despite what we see every day with our own eyes when the truth is they don’t give two sugars about us of anyone else – yesterday it was all about Venezuela and the tanker ship in the Atlantic and today ‘he’ want’s Greenland just like he wants the Nobel prize “me Trump and Trump gotta have”.
Then nothing further heard about that tanker ship Bella1 that the USCG boarded so we now must assume they are having difficulties – did the Russians throw the engine room computer software disc overboard as per Moscow instruction I wonder so now the ship is stopped and cannot go anywhere or maybe the USCG people have no suitable food to eat or there are no suitable sleeping quarters on board? either way it’s a long haul back to the Caribbesn with an empty rusty ship that nobody really wants – lastly wouldn’t be surprised if Sec John Healey agrees to the Americans suggestion to park it up somewhere in Scotlsnd – so why not?
January 9, 2026
Trump is now the American continent’s newest and biggest caudillo.
Probably lots of people behind the scenes pulling his strings though.
January 9, 2026
I see yet again Trump is doing things like “revoke citizenship from naturalized Americans” which would not even be up for discussion in political circles in the UK. On this Trump is correct. Starmer threats to ban use of X (twitter) in the UK is a communist government suppressing free speech going too far. The civil service openly refusing to work for a Reform government is a sign of how secure they think they are in doing whatever they want regardless of elections.
The whole situation is a mess.
January 9, 2026
No it’s great. We need the 90% civil service to resign! The rest will run Britain efficiently, they probably do all the work already.
Obtaining citizenship under false presences negates the award.
Trump has told Starmer that if he bans X, the U.K. will be sidelined by the USA, ie the regime will fall.
January 9, 2026
Excellent
January 9, 2026
X is currently permitting and enabling the production of child pornography. Their response so far has been to turn that capability into a paid-for service, not to stop it being possible.
I don’t want companies that enable the production of child pornography operating openly in the UK. Do you?
If X are unwilling to stop this happening, I have no issue with them being banned in the UK. Child pornography is illegal.
January 9, 2026
So you are happy for the USA to impose sanctions on the U.K. because the quality of U.K. people is now in the gutter?
Blame the implement, not the workman.
January 9, 2026
entirely biased BS. X is one of the better policed sites. plenty of the other left leaning ones are far worse.
Starmer is trying to stop free speech that is his main aim.
He still has no chance at elections, but in his little brain free speech is the problem, because people are allowed to say things he does not like.
January 9, 2026
Prosecute the individual criminals Peter.
Your logic is like arresting car makers because the vehicles they make lead to deaths.
Or arresting knife manufacturers for the same reason.
January 9, 2026
The EU Commission and the French, German and, in order to reverse his unpopularity, Starmer have resorted to using non legal but political sanctions against European citizens who have disagreed with their continued backing of the corrupt government of Ukraine and efforts to undermine Russia and achieve regime change. A historical analyst and author who has come to the same conclusions as American colleagues such as John Mearsheimer have been de banked and banned from buying food or travelling. Many others have been sanctioned. Only 8 MEPs would sign a petition to stop this in fear that the Commission could sanction MEPs.
Fact. Ukraine has lost the war because Russia has many more troops and advanced weapons. These missiles are hypersonic and medium rang ballistic and can’t be shot down. They are highly destructive. The war is one of attrition with high casualties and Ukraine is almost out of drone and atrillery fodder. The country is facing energy cuts with temperatures of minus 15C.
These missiles could destroy British LPG ports in 15 minutes. Undersea drones could destroy the Norwegian has pipeline. Ditto undersea electricity links. Then the UK would be in a similar position to Ukraine.
All this destroyed have been avoided if Nato had been told to stay out of Ukraine. If the negotiations in Turkey had not been stopped with Johnson as Biden’s representative. And, by the way, our two wonderful aircraft carriers could be sunk by Russian or Chinese missiles, as they have no anti missile defence.
January 9, 2026
‘Fact. Ukraine has lost the war’
That 3 day special military operation ….thats continues after 4 years, with russia losing 1,000 soldiers per week
January 9, 2026
Self delusion beyond repair. The BBC said Russia expected to win in 3 days so they could say it had failed.
Russia is NOT losing 1,000 soldiers a MONTH but 9,000 Ukrainian soldiers were wiped out in a week in our Christmas week.
It’s called ‘projection’ it’s a psychological symptom of psychopaths, they attribute their own ‘assets’ to their enemies.
January 9, 2026
How can Ukraine still be holding out, indeed delivering serious damage to bases, tankers, munitions, aircraft and Russian sites 4 years after you insisted it would be all over in weeks.?
January 9, 2026
”Over the past 10 months, Russian losses in the war with Ukraine have been growing faster than any time since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022”, BBC analysis suggests
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62n922dnw7o
January 9, 2026
Correct!
January 9, 2026
We should have accepted the diplomatic agreement signed by Ukraine in Istanbul. It’s a crime against humanity that Johnson-the-Destroyer intervened in his usual ham-fisted way.
When the war is over and the Ukrainian people have a microphone, all those yelling for more death and destruction on this very blog can hang their heads in shame.
Zelensky won a landslide election on the platform of ‘friends with Russia’.
We all know how Ukrainians feel about Zelensky, we feel the same about Starmer.
January 9, 2026
destruction could have been avoided.
January 9, 2026
Birmingham NHS paid 40 million quid to Pakistan to train Pakistani doctors in Pakistan…
Meanwhile there is not enough funding to train as many locals docs as we need here.
Wow just wow.
January 9, 2026
That is not within the remit of the NHS. Those who approved this should be sued and destroyed financially forever.
January 9, 2026
you would hope so, but like the lying West Mids police senior officers NHS leaders are exempt from the normal rules of society.
January 9, 2026
Sir John I have been writing to you for over a decade imploring you to speak up about the government’s poor dietary advice and the obesity and diabetes epidemics. Our government’s advice is not based on nutrition but rather on vested interests and it is guaranteed to make people sick and fat. I am delighted that this week the USA has issued their revised guidelines for 2025-2030 and REAL FOOD is back at the centre of it. The food pyramid has been inverted. People are encouraged to prioritise whole nutrient dense foods and to dramatically reduce highly processed foods.
I have also written about my concern about childhood vaccines. This week the USA has issued revised guidelines on these too. Children will no longer require 72 ‘jabs’ and they are moving to a far more reasonable schedule of 11 ‘jabs’. They will no longer be mandated and parents are free to choose which ‘jabs’ they wish their children to have, based on informed consent. Full trials of the vaccines are now to be conducted as shockingly this has never been done before.
This is long-awaited brilliant news. Let’s hope it spreads here.
January 9, 2026
I agree.
January 9, 2026
ND,
Five bob school dinners in my day. No chips. Not many fat kids in school.
Takeaways were basically fish and chips. Not much eating out for entertainment. Meals cooked at home from scratch.
Confectionery and crisps were bought as individual packs not bulk buys in supermarkets.
People know what causes obesity. They don’t need to be lectured and many would not listen anyway.
As for innoculations I used to develop a cold beforehand if I was aware of an pending jab. I had a particular fear of the BCG jab as I had been told there were many needles not just one, as with standard hypodermics.
January 9, 2026
The government is refusing to deny reports that plans to make Britain’s armed forces “war ready” will require billions more than it has allocated so far.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) believes it will require an extra £28bn over the next four years to meet its forecast costs, according to The Times, and The Sun.
The department’s investment plan has been delayed, with Sir Keir Starmer reportedly ordering a rewrite of the proposals. The plan was initially supposed to have been completed in autumn last year, but could now not emerge until the spring.
The document is due to set out how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade, following a wide-ranging review of Britain’s capabilities published in June last year.
The review pledged billions in extra spending for extra ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines, as ministers pledged to move the UK to “war-fighting readiness”.
According to the reports, the projected £28bn shortfall was made by MoD officials in an internal assessment conducted last year.
January 9, 2026
NASA having to do an emergency medical evacuation from the international space station this weekend. Throws up a lot of questions.
As ever nothing on the BBC about a massive news story.
January 9, 2026
Starmer offering to send UK forces to Ukraine is very nice of him, virtue signalling as usual, like Blair was, but we cannot defend ourselves (nor our veterans) especially when Labour have failed to recognise the resources and infrastructure necessary for this and that we don’t have anymore due to their deliberate wreaking policies. Starmer ignored Trump demanding spending / investing more in defence. Now he’s offering ridiculous unaffordable future commitments.
Barmy.
January 9, 2026
wow I have just seen Starmer raging about X (twitter), he has failed to show any upset about massed gang rape of children, about police following the orders of religious extremists, about immigration being out of control, but he is upset about a little bit of free speech.
I hope he etc ed
January 9, 2026
its hilarious that many of Starmers own posts on X (twitter) have been “community noted” i.e. called out for being lies… he clearly does not like having his falsehoods exposed.
January 9, 2026
Congratulations Lynn, you win the most entries award.