The PM and the Labour party claim they have done well at foreign affairs whilst their domestic record is rated lowly by the voters. If only. Giving away the crucial freehold of the Diego Garcia base was a disaster in the making. Giving in for a costly and unhelpful EU re set was bad for growth and UK taxpayers.
Nor has the UK advanced peace in the world. The UK has decided with its current government to side with the EU over central foreign policy issues when the US President is trying to negotiate peace in both Ukraine and the Middle East.
The decision to work with other allies to announce recognition of a Palestinian state which does not exist and which neither of the combatants in Gaza wants made peace negotiations by the US and Arab intermediaries more difficult. The attempt to negotiate a coalition of the willing to police a peace that does not exist in Ukraine was an irrelevance to the situation.
In Ukraine the UK has cut Russian oil and gas out of its own trade and placed wide ranging sanctions on other products. If the UK wants to help bring about a peace it needs to get other European countries to do the same. Several EU countries are helping fund the Russian war machine by buying Russian energy or derived products.Their statements of support and sympathy for Ukraine sound hollow given their trade conduct.
The UK has always spent more than the recommended NATO minimum on defence. It needs to help the US get other European members spending up, and now needs to make a big increase in its own to honour obligations and meet the new proposed targets.
France has sought to lead European efforts on Ukraine over the last year. France has provided only small amounts of money and military aid to Ukraine, much less than Germany or the UK. The UK should put pressure on France to do more.
As we see in Moldova there is a struggle against Russian expansion through elections as well as a war against Russian aggression in Ukraine. Russia sees it the other way round as their struggle against EU expansion. The EU needs to do more itself to deter Russia and to demonstrate it only expands when it has the support of the people in the candidate countries.The UK is in a better position like the US to be an honest broker for peace rather than an EU campaigner,
September 30, 2025
Good morning.
Now here is something I have just found out in the last few days. Once the UK Government recognise the State of Palestine this give the Palestinian’s the authority to sue the UK Government over the loss of their lands due to the Balfour Agreement. Of course this could be wrong but, given this governments track record one thinks it just might be another rack in the long grass for future generations, much like the demand for reparations over the slave trade.
Just when you think things just cannot get any worse.
September 30, 2025
@Mark B – but it gives the UK’s legal profession that works directly for Palestine work and money. Just as with the Mauritius/Chagos deal it was the UK Legal Profession that profited most by working for those that want money from the UK Taxpayer.
The UK’s Legal Industry, has become how to screw the UK Taxpayer Industry, one surmises and as has been shown by some they have secured avoidance of contributing to the UK Exchequer
September 30, 2025
They have demanded £2 trillion from Britain, did you not see that?
September 30, 2025
US peace efforts?
I don’t see any. I see big talk from Trump and ridiculous claims about a Nobel peace prize.
UK has no strategic interest in Ukraine and should not get involved. Trump flip flops on the issue but seems to have persuaded Europe to buy American arms which will please his military/ industrial lobby.
On Gaza, we know Trump is completely controlled by the Israel lobby, though even his biggest admirers, like Marjorie Taylor Greene, are now getting wise to this and are unhappy about it.
Labour cannot change things but recognising a Palestinian state is the way things are moving in the rest of the world and it’s what many in the Labour Party want.
The notion of UK as an ‘honest broker’ is delusional – especially after Boris Johnson encouraged Ukraine to persist with the war. Like ‘soft power’ it is a term that appeals to the vanity of third rate politicians who want to play at being ‘statesmen’.
September 30, 2025
Why would anyone want Starmer and the Labour government as allies??
September 30, 2025
Certainly not Israel given Starmer and Lammy’s betrayal.
So Wes Streeting says whomever you are with the NHS you will never have to worry about the bill. Perhaps not but you will have to worry whether you will get any competent treatment without a very long wait! I suppose if you die first the bill is not the problem.
Still Wes Streeting did rule out VAT on private health care well done. This would have made it so you have to pay five times over to use private healthcare. Taxes for others, tax on the money you earn for your ins. premium, you premium, Insurance Premium Tax 12% and then VAT at 20%. At least he got that right. We should really be encouraging with tax breaks etc. as many as possible to go privately for healthcare and education so as to save the state money!
Perhaps he should look at the dire NHS maternity care and also get Lucy Letby her appeal. Her 15 convictions are all very clearly totally unsound!
September 30, 2025
Alas six appeal court judges have (appallingly) already denied her any appeal! We any of these the same ones or types who said Lucy Connolly’s sentence was clearly not excessive!
What sort of dope or worse do they select to be appeal court judges?
September 30, 2025
Because Starmer is quaint compared to the danger that is Putin (including using hybrid war / acts of terrorism to disrupt our way of life and economy – he hates UK form his KGB days – and helping illegal migrants into the UK – as the Telegraph suggests he’s up to as far as I believe – is one of many things he can do to harm us).
God bless the UK and keep us safe and strong
October 1, 2025
Putin also forces us to collect the immigrants mid channel, house and feed them, give them free haircuts and a daily choice of our sons and daughters, he make# us bring their families over and they are so happy here that they March in London by the hundreds of thousands threatening to they will cut off our h3ads.
One powerful man, should we oppose such a omnipotent being?
September 30, 2025
Much of the peace effort appears to be applied to gaining the Nobel Prize.
Recognising a location as a State on the basis that others are moving in that direction is not a sensible reason to follow.
September 30, 2025
If he gets peace in Gaza etc. or Ukraine or both he will surely deserve it!
October 1, 2025
A 5 minute wonder or lasting peace?
September 30, 2025
‘UK has no strategic interest in Ukraine and should not get involved’ – like UK had no strategic interest in sudetenland 1938. You are utterly clueless about geopolitics. Views like yours are dangerous to our country.
September 30, 2025
We need to support Ukraine in such a way that Putin ends up landing on his own sword. Not easy. But possible. Meanwhile, we need to plan what to do / how to deal with all the crooks surrounding Putin and help Russia develop into a democracy (no reason why not – and the alternative of having a despot, such as Putin, is too much too even consider).
Putin is a very dangerous, deranged man. He hates UK form his KGB days (and he hates the West in general). And despots like him could be potentially very dangerous in hybrid / terrorist violence against the UK and the West – not in outright war, but acts of violence here and there to disrupt our infrastructure and economy.
This is the kind of thing Head of MI6 was talking about recently. Not rocket science. But he said it in a very articulate and sensible way (and with lots of experience and data, not avail to the public, I suspect, to support his views).
October 1, 2025
Go to fight the stupid, incompetent Russians who hate their country and leader Ed. Should be easy to beat them as they are just dying to be like you.
Amazing that they can control our Governmental computer systems but we can’t. Perhaps the clever chap from MI6 knows why but can’t tell us because it’s a state secret. 🤫
September 30, 2025
It’s interesting that you mention France regarding Ukraine. France and Macrin in particular always want to be in charge as long as other people are paying. The sixth generation fighter joint programme is in trouble because France is demanding 75% of manufacturing despite only supplying 30% of funding.
France will undermine any agreement if it’s not to their advantage. They make a poor ally. Historically they dislike Americans because they are jealous of their success especially in technology. Macron pretends to be the new Napoleon.
September 30, 2025
Spot on. France likes to be seen as leading but without the responsibility. The suggestion that the UK can put pressure on France is for the birds. I had to smile when it was reported that France had requested that we should give free entry to French people when visiting the Bayeux Tapestry. So typically French.
September 30, 2025
Then he must be crushed as the original Napoleon was.
September 30, 2025
I don’t agree that “The UK is in a better position like the US to be an honest broker for peace”. The UK has a poor record on peace-making, from Suez onwards.
We have been very eager participants in regime change operations in the Middle East and, latterly, in Europe. Our arms industry has profited grandly in the process.
Under the guise of “aiding democracy” and strengthening “the international rules based order” we have been keen to support (and some argue perhaps instigate, with US complicity) “rainbow revolutions” and various degrees of interference in elections in countries such as Ukraine, Romania and possibly Moldova. Our MI6 is as opaque as the CIA. We all should know broadly what it’s doing in our name, but we don’t.
More important than my view is what people, especially those in power, around the world (including the EU) think. I doubt very many at all see the UK as an “honest broker”.
Reply I am against us being dragged into conflicts in the Middle East or EU on one side with committing our forces in any role
September 30, 2025
The UK would certainly do well to keep its distance from the impotent EU’s posturing and hope Starmer’s ridiculous “coalition of the willing” is forgotten about, especially by him.
As for backing the US though, are there coherent and credible proposals coming from the USA that the UK could support and that would be in its interests so to do? The UK has no need to be meddling in foreign affairs.
September 30, 2025
It’s a funny kind of “honest broker” that sent Johnson off to Kiev to instruct Zelensky NOT to agree a peace deal with Russia before a million Ukrainians and goodness knows how many Russians were killed.
We should support President Trump’s efforts to end the war and that means detaching ourselves from the Russia-provoking French/EU. We have enough problems in our own country without getting dragged into the EU’s conflicts.
As for Palestine, we should support the proposed peace deal Trump announced yesterday and if Hamas refuse to accept it, there could be no clearer demonstration that they do not want a two-State solution. The deal must come with a guarantee that the UK will not, and never will be, required to pay reparations to the new Palestinian State.
September 30, 2025
Hamas has stated hitherto that it does not support a two state solution, as has Israel.
September 30, 2025
Israel offered a state to ‘Gaza’ on several occasions, it was always refused.
Gaza wants a single state solution, ie the obliteration of Israel.
September 30, 2025
We don’t need a deal regarding reparations – as with the other ridiculous claims the simple answer is ‘no’ and let them all suck the bones out of that.
October 1, 2025
If you are too stupid to know that recognising something that does not exist is a sign of madness, why not pay someone who does not exist too. There is no excuse not to.
September 30, 2025
It is alarming that the UK government is, in effect, opposing peace initiatives by the U.S.A. in both Ukraine and Gaza.
September 30, 2025
Seems so. But Two Tier gets almost nothing right.
October 1, 2025
However the alternative is Ed of this comments blog. I think Starmer is the better choice!
September 30, 2025
The biblical instruction to, ‘remove the beam from thine own eye before trying to remove the speck from others’ is appropriate here.
Britain must always help to reduce conflicts and world tension, that is a given.
Sadly, the record of recent government activities in the UK is dire and embarrassing. State activities to actually reduce the tensions in Britain are absent. Add to that absence of social harmony, state incapacity to prevent unwanted mass arrivals of strangers landing on our southern coast. That incompetence, makes for a poor management image. It’s suggesting we have little real advice worth giving to others dealing with their own difficulties.
Despite our supposed 2% + of GDP spend on defence, our navy is at an all time low with poor recruitment being the latest hindrance to effective deployment of ships, which we have precious few to deploy. Our standing Army is now lower in number than traffic wardens defending parking spaces for councils and our Air Force is impressive but too small.
We can talk peace all day long but we lack the big stick necessary to convey sincerity….
September 30, 2025
It’s not the size of the gun, but the force of the shot – the silly idea of spending a certain, ever increasing amount without ever considering the value it provides is why we are where we are. We’ve always had poor spending choices and waste and merely increasing the size of the losses is no way to run defence. Like most ministries, perhaps the MoD needs scrapping and something better put in place. Armchair generals and admirals coupled with incompetent politicians will never produce value.
September 30, 2025
Yes, but the key to resolving these issues is not war and misery it’s diplomacy and that involves statecraft. On these two important issues the UK and especially this government is woefully ill equipped. Both David Lammy and Evette Cooper are not Foreign Minister material, neither have a detailed grasp of foreign affairs and more importantly a detailed knowledge of world history including the UN. Moreover, neither have gravitas to ensure they command attention on the world stage and they lack experience. Constantly changing Ministerial positions only weakens knowledge and destroys experience but how can we expert a human rights lawyer from North London to understand such issues?
September 30, 2025
‘neither have a detailed grasp of foreign affairs and more importantly a detailed knowledge of world history’ – same for most of Parliament. NOT going to war against Afghan and Iraq were EASY decisions. But Parliament still went against the completely obvious (I was strongly against both wars before they had happened – and I am no hawk but only go to war when necessary).
September 30, 2025
Sorry I meant, I am no pacifist.
September 30, 2025
Sir John
Side with the EU? It comes over as taking orders from the EU, giving the EU what it wants, to avoid EU expenditure.
All the while UK Defences at home are depleted to such an extent we are unable to defend ourselves. It would be nice to hope others would come to the UK’s aid, but all the evidence is they wouldn’t. Its just the UK giving, the EU taking not one once of reciprocation.
The EU is 27 States, a massive 450million population yet the UK finds it self on the EU’s front line while the majority of the EU stays at home .
September 30, 2025
POTUS was doing well, challenging convention, being a disrupter to cause things to move on and not stagnate, until he somehow got mixed up with Blair. The man that out of personal ego is behind the loss of thousands of lives, including US lives. ‘What weapons of mass destruction’ never found , never existed.
It is up to the Palestine People themselves where they go next, without them being the only ones involved the situation will compound itself once more.
September 30, 2025
“UK needs to help US peace efforts” it would appear to the rest of the World Labour, just as Labour under Blair they want war, as long it is someone else fighting it. Labour is about dividing, creating division, fighting the people – the wouldn’t know what it means to work with and not against
From the Telegraph
The Israeli foreign ministry said: “While prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and president Donald Trump are working tirelessly in Washington to end the war in Gaza, the Labour Party chooses to embrace Hamas and fully adopt its lies, including the fake genocide campaign.
“The world stands with the US and Israel in their efforts to end the war. Labour stands with Hamas. It is a disgrace for Britain that this is the party in power.”
September 30, 2025
Oh, the EU expanded into Britain ‘only with the support of the support of the British people?’ They did not have to trick the people with talk of a trade agreement?
And they are now ‘expanding into the U.K. and retained NI’ with the agreement of the British people?
Can you see that the EU and the Globalists are the Imperialist power, pouring aliens into the U.K. without let to destroy our nation while ‘France refuses to take them back’?
Thank God Russia and it President drew a line in the sand. The only ones with the guts thus far, apart from the British people, to stop the demand for liebensraum by the EU.
September 30, 2025
Starmer is a weak, easily led fool who should never be PM. Recognising the state of Palestine is crass stupidity.
Does he know that in 2005/6 Israel left Gaza, so the Palestinians could have had their own state? Instead, they voted for Hamas in 2007, who turned it into a terrorist state, dedicated to destroying Israel and then all Jews worldwide. Starmer and Macron’s coalition of the willing is actually a coalition of the weak!
Then, listening to speeches from the Labour conference, you realise that total stupidity runs through the entire cabinet, with the deluded Rachel Reeves the winner so far. How can someone with no intelligence and no common sense, no clue how to run a modern economy, end up as Chancellor?
This Government is a shambles, at home and abroad.
September 30, 2025
In regard to Moldova. The opposition party which is pro- Russian has claimed that the election result of 50.2% for the pro- EU party does not reflect the will of the people and states the results were falsified.
Western politicians refuse to acknowledge that Eastern European countries have significate ethic Russian populations that want to keep ties with Russia, But the EU does not like this. If don’t vote EU then the result is un-democratic.
Hope the pro-EU government does not use force to supress the anti-EU 50% of the population of Moldova and we have a re-run of so called Russian aggression to gain territory as played out in Ukraine. Nothing to do with stopping ethnic Russians being killed by their own Government.
Do we ever get a true full picture of the situation from our Politicians ? The real reason OFCOM banned RT so we never get the other side of the story perhaps ?
September 30, 2025
Can anyone explain to me what the Palestine region now is?
Clearly is is not a nation because we have only just recognised it as one and the UN doesn’t yet.
But the Palestine Mandate ended in 1948.
So is it Terra nullius?
September 30, 2025
Yes, but look at who has been selected to assist and be a big part of the peace committee – Blair. Now when did he ever get things right.
Starmer won’t be much use in getting any war settled either – Ukraine would have been over by now but he had to keep it going by sabotaging behind the scenes talks and promising so much support for Ukraine.
If we want peace in Gaza and Ukraine then we should follow the Israeli plan and provide Russia with secure borders. Is that too much to ask for?
September 30, 2025
70 criminals were illicitly shipped, into the UK yesterday on the 29th September from France…
September 30, 2025
Supporting EU expansion is a terrible policy. The tragedy of Ukraine is that the sovereign independence it is fighting for is not one of the possible outcomes of its defensive war against Russia. It will be governed either by Russia or by the anti-democratic EU
October 1, 2025
Ukraine was a Sovereign nation before it started fighting ethnic Russians in its territory.
So obviously that was not it’s objective in this war.
September 30, 2025
‘The UK has always spent more than the recommended NATO minimum on defence.’
I’d like to know details of the expenditure from budget on defence. It seems to a great many of the concerned watchers that UK has wound down real expenditure and what has been spent has been on USA fast jets which we can only use with their permission. Other basic components, ships, armaments, vehicles etc appear to have been spent with other countries not UK made and staff employed.
A proud claim of 5% or whatever is only as good as the real defence capability we wish and do have.
September 30, 2025
As a point of information, the war in Eastern Ukraine began in spring 2014, well before any “Russian aggression”. It is therefore a gross distortion to claim that the conflict is a “war against Russian aggression”. It is disappointing to read such ill-informed wording from our kind host, even allowing for his expertise lying elsewhere than in foreign policy.
October 1, 2025
+1.
Disappointing also that Ukraine did not accept an6 of the peace agreements negotiated with Russia, which left Ukrainian territory intact initially, then demanded independent status for Luhansk and Donetsk. NOTE they were NOT proposed to be incorporated into the Russian Federation.