The UK is unique in being a world trading country with a long history of involvement in international disputes that can work with NATO, the Commonwealth, the TPP, the G7, and the Five Eyes. We need to work with who we can issue by issue, but concentrate on the UK national interest.
I have no problem in principle with PM Starmer if he wants to follow a different course from the USA on any particular matter. He needs to make his case and get it right when or if he disagrees with the President. I supported as a youngster the UK staying out of the Viet Nam war, and later failed to persuade the Conservative opposition to oppose Blair’s involvement of the UK in Iraq. I have always thought a strong and friendly relationship with the USA a good idea. I remember the failure of the US to join our war in Europe in 1939 until Japan bombed them into the conflict, and remember the reluctance of the US to help us liberate the Falklands by military means. The UK has to be able to defend itself.
I do have a problem with PM Starmer believing there is some proto EU defence scheme we can attach ourselves to. It is embarrassing to watch him asking France and Germany before he expresses a view of what the UK can and should do as if they would help or have the resources to defend us. Our history shows us that all invasions and military threats to these islands have in the past come from European countries and empires, though we are assured this cannot happen now. The French, the Germans, the Italian Romans, the Scandinavian Vikings, the Dutch, the Spanish and others have taken it in turns to seek to conquer us. It is clearly a good idea to seek friendly and positive relations with European countries and with the EU, but a grave folly to think we can by becoming a rule taker from the continent somehow secure our own safety and pursue our own interests.
The modern EU has no plans to assail us militarily, but plenty of plans to make us obey its laws, import more from them, pay them tax revenues and direct our policies. Their interests are clearly not our interests in these areas. It makes sense for them to tax us, but makes no sense for us to agree. It makes sense for them to want to send many of their young people here, but not for us as we are short of homes and jobs. It makes sense for them to demand cheap fees at UK universities for their students, but that undermines the finances of our great universities. It makes sense for them to want us to impose high tariffs on non EU imports to give their companies more chance to take over our markets. That will just harm the UK consumer more.
The EU is trying to establish a stronger role in European defence by taking powers from member states and borrowing large sums centrally to buy more control. It wants the UK to pay a large sum to have possible access to their defence orders. This comes at a time when the UK defence industry has a full order book and when the UK should be spending extra money on buying more UK produced weapons, not on subsidising an emerging EU defence presence we do not control.
March 17, 2026
it is pointless expecting someone like starmer to be able to model a complex multi dimensional changing problem domain in his head. or to be able to instinctively know the right thing to do given a new problem, working it out from guiding first principles. or to have any delivery experience to fix real world problems, or knowing how to lead and motivate widely differing members of a team.
he simply doesn’t have the skills, insight, or self awareness of his own strengths and weaknesses.
sadly our political process is selecting completely the wrong kinds of people for jobs like this.
we need people in the top jobs who can deal with complex problems, but we simply dont have them.
March 17, 2026
As I recall President Reagan did, in fact, help Britain in the Falklands War…against the counsel of his advisers. Whilst not overt, it was of consequence.
March 17, 2026
He refuelled our planes midair.
It allowed them to fly round trips from the U.K. to the Falklands.
Not exactly a lot of help.
March 17, 2026
I think I agree with that fair assessment.
I doubt Starmer and his motley crew are doing anything in the interests of this nation and its people. Their only desire is to be incorporated into the EU bloc and all decisions will be made with that in mind.
March 17, 2026
I agree fully but alas Starmer and his appalling cabinet get virtually everything wrong.
I too was against Iran rather too young to know much about Vietnam. Has that Manchester FC owner chemicals magnet yet corrected his statement saying Starmer was a “decent, intelligent and honourable man”?
Interesting to see Steven Pound with you on Mogg yesterday (he voted for Iraq) talking his usual daft party supporting drivel. Perhaps he was always like this or perhaps all that Naval Boxing did it. Can they not find a rather more worthy rational lefty for you to spar with. I suppose it must be quite hard.
Interesting to hear on Mogg too just how West Midlands police are financing themselves by harassing truck drivers. Truly appalling but such is Anarcho-Tyranny that is so prevalent now in the UK.
It seems following the two deaths in Kent student are queuing up for antibiotics. Why would you give these (bug killing drugs) to people unless they have signs they are suffering from these bacteria. Seems to be rather an odd practice – the antibiotics are surely not preventive of anything until infected are they?
March 17, 2026
“….others have taken it in turns to seek to conquer us”. Indeed – now they have an insider doing it for them.
March 17, 2026
Good morning.
This government an and this PM in particular is very pro-EU, hence all the kow-towing. He is also no leader of men.
It was interesting to hear some of the words from President Trump about the PM. They were far less than complimentary. Apparently, according to President Trump, TTK offered one of our Carriers to help police the Straights of Humus(sp). I think it was rejected.
President Trump is making other political leaders look bad. He has long argued over various nations ability to commit to NATO fully and be there for the USA as the USA would, and has been, for them. This is I think playing well to a domestic audience ahead of elections there.
We, and to be fair others, have been made to look weak and pathetic, cowering behind the USA military. And we are !
March 17, 2026
The modern EU has no plans to assail us militarily, but plenty of plans to make us obey its laws, import more from them, pay them tax revenues and direct our policies.
And what’s your bet that Starmer & Rachel from accounts are already in talks with the EU to run our country because they bloody sure are not and you can bet your bottom dollar that clueless tool Starmer will use the conflict in the Middle East to gain more support for his useless government and swing the polls to his advantage, because after all the misguided voter put these useless clowns into power and they will fall for his bile again