I welcome the US/UK decision to share technology with Australia so they can build and operate a fleet of eight nuclear powered submarines. I understand there had been delays, cost escalations and disputes with the French over how much of the work on the prospective diesel submarines would be undertaken in Australia which led Australia to source better boats from alternative suppliers.
I also welcome the more global tilt to UK policy, recognising the growing importance of Asia to us and our US ally. The President of the USA turns to the quad of USA, India, Japan and Australia for his tilt to Asia. Both the UK and the USA are seeking to join the Trans Pacific trade partnership.
The UK and NATO are assisting in helping keep the shipping lanes open in the South China Sea against Chinese expansion. Taiwan is a crucial source of the most sophisticated and modern microprocessors. China regularly tests her defences and Western willingness to offer support to the island.
Global Britain has global trade and defence interests. A closer relationship with the Quad in Asia is a good idea, offering further business opportunities as well as cementing alliances. France is behaving badly after losing the potential contract. France has in the past sought to operate independently of NATO and more recently has been pushing a European EU defence idea. She has shown every wish to be more distant from the USA and UK, so she should not complain when we help her wish come true.
September 19, 2021
Good Morning,
Just so, a really good news event; at last we appear to have woken up to the threat of Chinese expansionism.
What about a bit more joined-up thinking: What of Chinese involvenment in our power, telecoms, universities, etc. How are we going to remove the risks there?
Second, the main issue is Taiwan. If China thinks the west is strengthening against them, would it not be advantageous for China to invade sooner rather than later? We should be sending any weapons and assistance requested by Taiwan. For Australia, surely the US and or UK can lend/lease them a couple of boats within a year to at least get them dangerous.
September 19, 2021
Indeed good news but as ever double standards. Allegedly Sunak is secretly in contact with Beijing negotiating an Anglo/Chinese investment deal so the Uighers and Hong Kong virtue signalling was precisely that and the Chinese once again called out bluff knowing we have zero leverage not forgetting the billions of pounds lost to our economy by banning Huweii and putting our digital network back umpteen years reducing our competitiveness.
And if we are to build some submarines we need power from Chinese money nuclear.
Our universities canât exist without their money so we allow them to âstealâ our IP.
In other news re yesterdayâs topic, apparently the Tories are preparing for the next election. I guess in the budget before it Sunak will declare the economy has magically picked up, make some headline grabbing tax reductions, claim it was as a result of tough actions and hope we have short memories.
September 19, 2021
What actual losses result from the change of Huawei’s supplier status? The was talk from Huawei of potential losses with delays in 5G rollout but what is the reality?
September 19, 2021
The French have not withdrawn their ambassador from the UK.
Not because they think that it has behaved honourably, but simply because it never had any choice but to do exactly as the US wanted, and more than ever now that it has left the European Union.
Its military will be used as stalking horses anywhere nasty.
Theresa May at least recognises this.
September 19, 2021
1. Sir John did not assert in any way that the French ambassador to the UK was withdrawn. The ambassador has been recalled, a hardly unusual gesture when two countries are annoyed with each other.
2. Isn’t the whole point of having military forces that they can be used ‘anywhere nasty’ when deemed necessary?
September 19, 2021
1. I never claimed that he did.
2. Yes, but “necessary” does not mean their being used as a stalking horses by e.g. the US.
September 19, 2021
claimed v asserted v stated v implied
You know what you tried to say MiC
September 19, 2021
Pathetic to see the EUâs toadies parrot this silly line being leaked by the French govt. as pointed out below, it appears this project started as an Anglo-Australian initiative and was then taken to Biden.
September 19, 2021
“It” and “Its”, Martin? You mean “the UK’s” don’t you? But your attitude shows. Can you explain what you think is so “dishonourable” in cooperating with our allies, particularly Australia which has done us nothing but favours (unlike the EU or France)?
Of course we have a choice whether to ally the UK with the USA – or not – either in general, or for a specific objective. We are not part of the USA where we were part of the EU. That is a major difference. And, frankly, since you wanted the UK subsumed within the EU, you do not have a principle to stand on.
September 20, 2021
Nick C
your arguments are one sided and emotional , we need some facts to shore up your weak arguments
September 20, 2021
Well lets have some from you billy.
September 20, 2021
Teresa May; a front runner for the worst PM we have had along with Blair.
September 19, 2021
Regarding Taiwan, I said in these columns long ago that we should offer to sell them nuclear weapons. Apart from the huge revenues we could earn, it would certainly deter any Chinese aggression.
We need to recognise Taiwan as an independent country and build up our relationship with them. Taiwan can be our ally, whereas the Chinese are clearly our opponents.
September 19, 2021
Agree – we need to fully recognise Taiwan (and get the BBC to stop calling them Chinese Taipei or the Republic of China just to appease The People Republic of China)
September 19, 2021
It would be a breach of nuclear non-proliferation treaties.
September 21, 2021
At least someone has a clue.
September 19, 2021
‘What of Chinese involvenment (sic) in our power, telecoms, universities, etc. How are we going to remove the risks there?’
Did the Chinese threaten attack if we didn’t acquiesce to their demands? Oh, no it was the British who wanted all that. Does this mean the British people cannot trust those in positions of power?
To counter Chinese eyes on Taiwan one could say that the European powers have given up their colonial possessions so China should also do. Taiwan was ‘owned’ by nobody except the indigenous people and came under the control/occupation by the Japanese, British etc. and later in the 17th C. by the Chinese. Like the greater part of present day China it acquired its present size by some form of conquest , particularly Xinjiang. Ask the Chinese to let these areas become independent!! Some hope eh?
September 20, 2021
The Han Chinese Ming dynasty was supplanted by the Manchu Qing dynasty in the 17th C;the defeated Ming fled to Formosa/Taiwan(liquidating the Dutch trading post there in the process)just like the defeated Nationalists in 1949;the Qing reunified the island with China a few years later.
September 19, 2021
By the time these subs come into service China will have extended its reach to a point that makes such a deterrent almost redundant
China will become all powerful in Asia. They are Marxist, expansionist, pragmatic and brutal. There’s no WOKE IN CHINA OR RUSSIA. The US is fiscally and morally bankrupt. Australia is now woke fascist beyond belief and that poison is destroying the very nature of what our forces of meant to be, a brutal deterrent. Now, it’s racial, gender and sexual equality bullshit that western politicians have imposed upon our world. We are weak because western politicians are ‘insert unmentionable words’
The enemy for many US UK and Australian citizens is in the Whitehouse, London and Canberra not in Beijing or Moscow
September 19, 2021
+1
Hear, hear!
No good us sabre rattling with both hands tied behind our backs.
AnywayâŠhasnât the West aided and abetted China in becoming rich and powerful?
September 19, 2021
I see the NHS is continuing with its war against the word WOMEN with another NHS trust spending hundreds of thousands changing the name of any units with that word in its title.
Is this what my extra taxes are to be spent on?
Is this helping to save the NHS?
Is this going to reduce waiting lists?
This WOKE nonsense has got completely out of hand. Are our politicians ever going to do anything to reform this out-of-control organisation?
September 19, 2021
Of course they aren’t, Christine. After the experience of recent years, how could you still believe the politicians running this country have the slightest interest in the wellbeing of its citizens? It’s all about agendas now. The Covid agenda, the climate agenda, the diversity agenda, it’s all about targets set by the foundations, the NGOs, the activists and the billionaire philanthropists. The politicians work for them, not for you or me.
But who’s going to worry about that when ‘Strictly’ is back?
September 19, 2021
+1, DOM
September 19, 2021
Their behaviour in the last test of relations (over vaccines) would suggest the enemy for many Australian and UK citizens is Paris and Brussels.
September 19, 2021
After Brexit, the French excluded us from the Galileo GPS system, after we had transferred technology to them and over ÂŁ1 billion. They are making life difficult for us over trade with the EU. They refused to join in the Gulf war and sold the Argentinians the Exocet anti-ship missile, which was used to sink HMS Sheffield – with loss of British life. Incidentally, 40years on, the MoD still has not organised anything near as good as Exocet for the RN.
Macron deserves the French humiliation. Lets hope he loses the forthcoming election and, as is customary for French ex-presidents, gets prosecuted for corruption. C’est la vie.
September 19, 2021
Yes, you have to laugh at the French stomping their little feet like pathetic babies. They laughingly accuse us of being “perfidious Albion” but THEY are the ones who have been attacking us ever since Brexit. The French government (not the people) are scum and have decided they want to be our enemies. And now they are surprised when we don’t involve them in our military alliance!
The real problem at the heart of all this is the French government’s lethal combination of insecurity and arrogance. The French foreign minister whined about how France had been treated, saying this was incompatible with the “stature” of the country. But that’s the whole point: France’s real ‘stature’ is NOT what he imagines. The UK is a global power; France is NOT. France has a vastly exaggerated sense of its own importance, but the truth is that it is only of any significance in the EU. It could not survive outside, on its own two feet – unlike the UK. In their hearts the French know this, which is why they focus their energies within the EU, but they hate to admit it, even to themselves, and when the truth comes out – as it has done over AUKUS – it really upsets them. Tough!
September 19, 2021
In more recent times the EU with France in support, also stopped the EU Covid manufactured vaccine going to Australia.
As so often is the case, what goes around comes around eventually, but perhaps in a different form.
France may be our neighbours, but they (French Politicians) certainly are not our friends.
September 19, 2021
I couldn’t agree more Alan. If ever a nation was selfish and ungrateful, it’s the French. I hope to see Macron taken down a peg or two.
September 19, 2021
+1, we must stop helping the eu, stop the transfer of money until they behave like adults
September 19, 2021
@Sakara – the Galileo project is a spin off from ‘Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd’ which was part of Guildford University so primarily UK taxpayer funding to get off the ground and initiate the systems. The UK taxpayer now excluded also pumped billions in to the project via the EU. SST was allowed by the Conservative Government to basically be sold and come under French Government Control.
This is you Government working for you and ensuring the UK taxpayer gets value for money. Still there is still the ‘green agenda’ – punish the UK further while others race off ignoring the quest
September 19, 2021
You voted to leave Galileo. Galileo falls under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and this was a Brexitist red line. You set the red line, France didnât. This is despite the fact Even that none of you seem to know what the ECJ does nor can any of you name a single ECJ ruling to which you object.
The French are also not making it difficult to trade. You asked to trade like a third country – that is what is happening. You appear not to like the masses of pointless paperwork you all voted for. For people who are obsessed borders none of you seem to actually understand what a border is.
It is pretty much the norm now for French presidents to only win a single term. Macron himself set up his own party and beat the French establishment. 5 years ago it seemed unlikely he would win the presidency at all. Now the polls suggest he is odds on to retain it. He must be hoping his second round opponent is Le Pen. Like Farage she is loud and has a small band of very vocal supporters but she is also a serial election loser and Macron would destroy her again.
September 19, 2021
Andy
Votes going to Barnier, If he stands, may let Macron in again.
Still awaiting your actual solution for older people, requested a couple of days ago, to be posted !
September 19, 2021
It is clearly true Brexiters never understood borders. Inside the EU, no. Outside the EU, yes. So they vote to be outside, and then are amazed that there are borders. Truly, Leave voters understood the FIRST THING they voted for
September 19, 2021
Don’t be silly Lord Ted, of course we’re not “amazed” that there are borders. We voted for a border between the UK and the EU. We did not vote for a border within the UK between England and Northern Ireland.
September 20, 2021
NIckC
the internal border was proposed by Boris not by anybody else
September 19, 2021
Strange post Ted
Europe plainly has borders.
The individual nations in Europe seem very keen to define these borders and keep them as they always existed.
Is that what you meant?
September 19, 2021
Andy, Emmanuel Macron was straight out of the French establishment. He only said he wasn’t. And you fell for it.
As for the CJEU, it’s a foreign court and should not have jurisdiction over freeborn Englishmen. Quite rightly we voted to get rid of it. The only problems with Brexit are where we remain subject to the EU – fishing; Northern Ireland; new EU rules; old EU rules; etc. The real Brexit part is working well – global trade deals, covid vaccine policy, AUKUS, for example.
September 20, 2021
The CJEU has no jurisdiction over Englishmen. It does have jurisdiction over Northern Irishmen. The Northern Irish didnt vote for that. It was imposed on them by the votes of the English – English voters at the last General Election and every single Tory MP in the Commons in Jan 2020
September 20, 2021
Indeed – in fact the Northern Irish voted handsomely not to leave the European Union at all.
That was imposed upon them by the English, however.
September 20, 2021
Lord Ted, What part of being subject to the CJEU whilst we were part of the EU don’t you understand? The CJEU did have jurisdiction over us, and that’s (partly) why we voted to Leave. And the Referendum was accepted as a whole UK vote with whole UK consequences by all parties to both sides. It was only after the Leave vote that Remains, such as yourself, tried dishonourably to cherry-pick the result for different areas of the UK.
September 20, 2021
Tripe as ever, Nick.
The Brexitories have an indefeasible majority of eighty.
Every single thing that has happened in connection with brexit has been in their hands alone because of that.
If ONLY someone else could have had an input, to prevent the complete mess that they have negotiated, then we would all be the merrier.
September 19, 2021
The French have shown Britain nothing but hatred, belligerence, intransigence, spite and hostility ever since Brexit. They want to harm us, not help us. They clearly have decided to be our enemies. This is their choice; it is regretable, very regretable, and certainly not what we wanted, but we have to accept the reality. Only fools or traitors would deny this. So if they want to be our enemies then so be it – let’s treat them as such.
September 19, 2021
Our country is desperately short of money to cover our bills at home, most of all for the NHS and post-COVID recovery. And yet you cheer on sending boats into the South China Sea. You think sticking the Union flag on a few guns is going to distract voters’ attention from the calamitous mess your party has made of Brexit and COVID? I don’t think so
September 19, 2021
err…it was Brown who had the ‘boats’ built. These ‘boats’ actually the most advanced aircraft carriers in the world would be sitting in bases doing nothing. Having spent ÂŁ4bn on each we might as well show the world what we have and can do. Australia obviously feel the threat now they rely so much on China’s mood for importing, don’t we all! So having something to show them that has claws, not such a soft underbelly can’t be wrong.
September 19, 2021
@Micky Taking – then again the French are doing exceedingly well out of them, the UK Government allowed the sell of to the French of the electronics side of our Navy. radar, sonar communications all French – So who is in control and making the money?
September 19, 2021
The South China Sea dispute is not really about ‘keeping the shipping lanes open’. The Chinese have not stopped any merchant shipping sailing through it. It seems to be about access to resources, such as oil and fishing rights. Quite how eight Australian nuclear submarines would play a part in resolving the dispute between the Philippines, Vietnam and China on these issues, I can’t myself see.
September 19, 2021
Interesting comment, thanks.
It’s early days, but as it stands this seems to be about perceptions, mainly of the US as a global power, which recent events have rather brought into question.
The Chinese appear to see through this too.
September 20, 2021
Yes,it’s 90% theatre,an attempt to offset recent disasters in the minds of the public,and only 10% practicality-and even then long distance-it will apparently be c2040 before any of these subs are in operation.The damage in terms of what France will respond with may be more immediate.
Typical back-of-fag-packet neo-con thinking.
September 19, 2021
It’s great John and I don’t care what the French think. When did they EVERYTHING worry about us? If it were the other way around they would be chuffed to bits. Nato has always been more important to us and I’m sure there will come a time when they will need our assistance.
September 19, 2021
Indeed the annoyance of the French the icing on the cake – though I an not keen on icing myself.
So of the five living ex-PMs Blair, Brown, Major, Cameron and May only one (May) has accepted the Boris invite to Checkers. A depressing reminder of what a dire collection on MPs we have had to suffer most of my life. Abandon ship (and do not even prepare for a Brexit vote) Cameron perhaps the most depressing of all. This he had an open goal and the ability to be a good PM. All he had to do was be the Cast Iron, EUsceptic & low tax at heart Conservative he claimed to be to get elected.
May (like the others) was a truly dreadful PM, but has been a slightly better ex-MP and at least she has the guts to go.
September 19, 2021
Dear Lifelogic–When the other day the papers said that Liz Truss was en route to becoming female PM number 3 I thought this had to be a typo because I couldn’t bring to mind who the number 2 could be. Eventually it dawned on me that they meant Mrs May. It is the absolute truth that she was so vapid and ineffectual not to say wrong on everything that she was infinitely forgettable and her name had not occured to me. Her terrible negotiating is still causing us big big problems. I am sure she is a lovely person but sentiment aside we were lucky that we were able to be rid of her relatively quickly. It could have been much worse with our stuck obeying Brussels law for all eternity if she had prevailed.
September 19, 2021
being stuck
September 19, 2021
Indeed, at least we did not have to suffer Corbyn/Labour/SNP despite Mayâs and many fake Tory MPs best efforts. May must have put the case for female MPs back hugely. Though the men in my lifetime Wilson, Heath, Bliar, Brown, (ERM fiasco) John Major to (Abandon Ship) Cameron have been appalling too. Even under Thatcher we had Gov. expenditure of circa 37% of GDP (she did not really cut this back) so nearly double what it should be circa 20%.
Last year under socialists Boris and Sunak expenditure was 52%of GDP and mostly this was (and is) pissed down the drain. They will strangle the economy if they try to raise more than about 35% of GDP in taxes as they clearly are doing. Doubtless Emma Raducanu is already, very sensibly, planning her tax exile before April 6th 2020.
September 19, 2021
April 2022 I meant.
September 19, 2021
LS, +1
September 19, 2021
I’ve heard Mrs May is considered a very good constituency MP, and sometimes during the last 18 months she’s seemed to me to have a rather more level-headed grasp of the situation than do the clowns currently running the country.
Of course, that may be because she is out of power and therefore not subject to the usual pressures from the usual quarters.
September 19, 2021
yes once in a while she breezes into a ‘sort of local butcher, baker and we will need candlestick makers’. Fanfare in local rag! Hooray.
September 19, 2021
Along with John Bercow, Iâm sure the labour party would welcome her with open arms
September 19, 2021
Leslie, Theresa May was not “ineffectual”, she was devious, cunning, a Remain, and a liar – witness the infamous Chequers showdown where David Davis had to resign because he had been serially lied to, but was too much of a gentleman to say so. Steve Baker resigned alongside Davis, and Boris Johnson a day later.
September 19, 2021
Alok Sharmer talking complete green crap lunacy on Marr just now. He has no excuse, he has a physics/electronics degree and was an accountant – even thus degree from Salford University should equip him to see reality rather than the drivel, hubris and duff cost estimate he and this government are ramming down peopleâs throats.
September 19, 2021
So why do you think he’s doing it, Lifelogic? It’s Sharma, btw.
It’s not as if this man has a long-standing environmentalist record. As an MP he voted against 11 out of 13 climate-related votes, according to the Guardian. He also changed his stance spectacularly on Heathrow expansion, now saying it helps to ‘drive the nation’ economic powerhouse’.
I see his message to the public on the energy crisis (on the Andrew Marr show) is: “People shouldn’t be concerned about the risk to supply”. Perhaps he’ll change his stance on that too. When the time comes for restrictions.
September 19, 2021
Good question.
September 19, 2021
FOLLOW the MONEY.
September 19, 2021
I’ve interviewed electronic degree graduates, and found they typically don’t understand basic circuit theory.
I don’t know what they teach at University, but it seems to go in one ear and out the other.
September 19, 2021
Well private school then Salford Uni – he is not likely the sharpest tool in the box but even so!
September 19, 2021
Same with the majority of graduates??? these days.
September 19, 2021
The ex-PMs didnât go to Chequers because they do not want to associate with Johnson.
I did not like their politics but you can tell that John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Theresa May were at least decent and honest people. Why would they want to mix with a gutter dweller like Johnson who has shamed a formerly great office, harmed a great country, destroyed the reputation of a once great political party and has generally proven himself to be an absolute schmuck of a man?
September 19, 2021
gutter dweller?
Honestly andy that is just dreadful trolling.
Pathetic.
September 19, 2021
They were and are all appalling, “decent and honest” you are joking I assume. Totally misguided and incompetent with it too. All had compasses 180 degree out. I just mention Major ERM (if we come out interest rates will have to go up he said), the disastrous wars one on a lie, Brown’s save the world – no return to boom and bust, Cast Iron, abandon ship, Greensill Cameron and Brexit means Brexit in name only May!
Perhaps Brown was just about decent and honest but certainly he was a damn fool and useless PM.
September 19, 2021
‘John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and Theresa May were at least decent and honest people.’ – – –
Go do stand up at the Edinburgh fringe.
You’ll be the best hit in years, and people will wet themselves laughing at you. (I do mean at you).
September 19, 2021
Andy, They didn’t go because they are yesterday’s men, and sore losers to boot. At least Johnson got us (mostly) out of the EU – none of the other 4 would even honour our vote to Leave! How low in the gutter is that?
September 19, 2021
and we should just do a gallic shrug.
September 19, 2021
There are a number of countries that ‘act badly’, resorting to cheap insults and severe threats. China is the worst, Russia second and Macron’s France third. Their behaviour will only improve when they start facing sanctions rather than the effete indifference of the FCDO. China would be best punished by rejection and exclusions from free-trade systems AND restrictions on her middle-class enjoying the freedoms of the West. Russia’s economy is heavily dependent on energy exports, so the West needs to work on reducing such imports. And France? I don’t know – but having seen how that country led the post-referendum hissy-fit I would suggest a sharp negative response to the EU’s overtures on Defence matters. We should, instead, make sure that we are the most reliable and capable European member of NATO.
September 19, 2021
I think the opposite is true. The more people from China who travel and see the freedoms of the West the better. Closed societies, like North Korea, are the most dangerous.
September 19, 2021
China might be an authoritarian single-party state, but it is not at all a closed society.
There is considerable consultation between government and representative groups amongst the people too, and to a large extent it does govern by consent.
September 19, 2021
Of course, and Elvis is still alive and living on the Moon.
September 19, 2021
govern by consent, or disappear… hilarious.
September 19, 2021
My daughter had no problems working there.
Had she tried doing it with US and UK ally Saudi Arabia then it might have been different on the other hand.
September 19, 2021
Did she work next to one of the prisons, Martin? Woken up early in the morning by the single gunshots every few minutes, was she?
September 20, 2021
Most commenters here are in favour of the death penalty, aren’t they?
Apparently they’d like retrospective law against people whom they don’t like, to make them subject to that too, for what they call “treason”.
Seems a bit rich for them to criticise China.
But as I say, compare with US and UK ally KSA.
September 20, 2021
Are they mostly in favour of the death penalty?
Where is your proof?
Seems you are making things up as usual MiC.
September 19, 2021
Mike
Whilst I would agree to a point with your comments I believe we have far, far too many Chinese students (under Chinese Government influence) in our Universities, indeed we now seemingly have so many Chineses students that some Universities are now becoming totally reliant on that income.
The result being that much intellectual and research knowledge is going directly abroad with no benefit to the UK at all.
September 19, 2021
typo…..should be ‘Chinese students/spies’
September 19, 2021
Good morning.
The Aussies were well stitched up by the French over the submarine deal. Quite how I do not know but they were not happy.
There French are behaving just like they always have.
Something posters here have been saying even before the 2016 Referendum. So its nice to see the government finally catch up.
The deal is a first step in recemeting our tiles with our former colonies and friends in that part of the world. A positive start. Hopefully we can begin to build upon this, forming closer links to other countries in the region.
Next stop, the African continent and its nations.
September 19, 2021
Correct, the estimates doubled, now guarantee on performance and years late.
It’s the French who created the problems and deserves to lose the order.
Let’s hope the reactors ate built in Derby.
September 19, 2021
Don’t give them reactors any ideas!
September 19, 2021
Yes, I think that there were reasonable grounds for ending the contract.
However, the manner of so doing did break diplomatic norms rather egregiously.
September 19, 2021
a variation on HS2. Cost estimate goes up by 30% every couple of years. So cancel !
September 19, 2021
@Mark B – then again the French wont loose out. The French supply the core electronics for all our Boats and Ships. They do that because the UK Government allowed the capability to be transferred to them. We may have invented the technology, we may have sunk taxpayer money into it, but the French now have ownership.
Get past the hull and the propulsion everything else on the submarines the French do very well out of. So an Aussie submarine will still only happen with the will of the French Government – its a scary thought from condoned by our own scary Government
September 19, 2021
Itâs a pity that we, once the manufacturing power house of the world, have allowed ourselves to become dependent on countries around the world for food, power, microprocessors and lots more.
Scrap HS2, for a start, and invest in our own production facility for microprocessors and 10 new nuclear power stations – designed and built by us.
Stuff this global Britain nonsense.
September 19, 2021
There are too many bean counters with short term horizons in and around government.
September 19, 2021
Agree
September 19, 2021
Where is this investment going to come from?
If it’s government, then they will tax and borrow to pay for something over the odds, that doesn’t work anyway, and piles of cash go into the pockets of advisers.
It won’t be UK private investment, as they’ve had all the money they might have been able to put into this kind of thing gobbled up in taxes.
That leaves foreign investment, as they keep their money out of reach of HMRC. But then you have to wonder what their motive would be.
September 19, 2021
Simon Heffer today – Environmental hubris has left Britain vulnerable to Putin’s gas blackmail
Of course Russia will take advantage of Britainâs shocking failure to safeguard its energy security.
Indeed, perhaps the two history graduates Kwasi Kwatang + now Greg Hands at business & energy will stop wittering on about the âSaudi Arabia of windâ and get real by fracking, stop destroying coal fired powered generators and importing back up coal stocks for a while. Might competent engineers not be a far better choices in these rolls Boris? Or at least a sound and numerate historian like JR? We need cheap, reliable, on demand and secure energy supplies to be competitive get real and ditch the green crap & net zero now please.
September 19, 2021
You make some valid strategic points, but undermine them with your absolutist, groundlessly dismissive mantra, against the assiduous work of thousands of the world’s best scientists.
But in general, how is the market alone going to achieve your demands?
That is, how can some degree of dirigisme by the State not be accepted?
September 19, 2021
Some state control and activity is of course justified – Defence, law and order, enforcement of property rights a few other things – but not much more!
September 19, 2021
20% of GDP is quite enough though. Matthew Less today in the Telegraph. âThe proof that tax rises are a terrible errorâ
âNearly every empirical study of taxes and economic growth published in a peer reviewed academic journal finds that tax increases harm economic growth, a Tax Foundation literature review concluded. David and Christina Romer found that a tax increase of 1 per cent of GDP decreases the size of the economy by 3 per cent after two years compared to what it otherwise would have been⊠the most damaging taxes to growth are corporation tax followed by personal income tax â exactly the ones the Tories are raising.â
So far we have had nearly 5% of GDP tax increases. Then this Socialist Gov. want insane OTT regulation of everything, absurdly complex tax laws, restrictive employment laws and the lunacy of vastly expensive and totally pointless net zero on top of all this. It will not end well.
September 19, 2021
Indeed. Importing 720000 people every year, cutting down trees whilst building on our greenbelt whilst spouting CO2 footprints. Importing coal we could produce ourselves and exporting our manufacturing. I’m glad we have a different atmosphere than the Chinese, US and India. Bunch of incompetent fools. Millions of voters now have no one to vote these people out of office.
September 19, 2021
But “not much more” would appear to include energy supplies in this case, wouldn’t it?
September 19, 2021
It is mainly there interference that is causing the current problems!
September 19, 2021
It is mainly their (the government’s) net zero interference causing the problems.
September 19, 2021
It does seem positive. We hear constantly from continuity remain of the irrelevance of the U.K. now weâre not in the EU. The 60+ trade deals, the potential membership of CPTPP, and now Aukus show the nonsense of this.
It is difficult not to enjoy the ridiculous petulance of the French govt. an excellent analysis by the journalist Wolfgang Munchau says this is a disaster for the EU, it flies in the face of their very regional, insular and formalistic model and asks what on Earth the French especially expect if they treat the U.K. as a strategic competitor.
France will want to join Aukus at some point, of course it would be best if they do. But we should block them as long as they are playing silly buggers with the NI protocol.
September 19, 2021
+1
September 19, 2021
Yes, the French are so filled with hatred for Britain that they can’t even bring themselves to accept that Australia might buy their subs from us. The fact is that there are two types of nuclear-powered subs the Aussies can now go for: the UK Astute-class or the US Virginia-class. The idea that they will automatically go for the US one is nonsense. The Astute-class is a lot cheaper, it requires a smaller crew and it is faster. The Virginia-class carries more weapons, but the Aussies mainly want to engage in surveillance, monitoring and patrolling, so having a few more weapons is not so important for them. I would therefore not at all be surprised if they opt for the UK’s Astute-class, rather than the American one. This will cause apoplexy in Paris!!
September 19, 2021
One can only hope for such a double win
September 19, 2021
Of course we should be dealing with Australia. Cameron should have been on a flight there around 25th June 2016 to cement first trade deals and security/defence collaboration. We have the same heritage and complementary trade interests. Instead he ran away, May spent years deliberating over spilt milk and only Liz Truss has actually been a person of action on this front, and now Raab to sort out this deal. We can’t afford our politicians to be 5 years behind (nor to run away).
September 19, 2021
Taiwan and microchips – important now but not so much in 3 to 4 year’s time. China, the US and S Korea and the French are building big new semiconductor plants – precisely to avoid the Taiwan risk. So, long past the time these submarines will be usable the risk will have vanished.
No Sir John, what we have here is a makework scheme for the mil-industrial. Both in Oz and in China – for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So, much rejoicing in the Chinese shipyards and in Oz where all that cash from flogging coal and iron ore to China can be recycled into persuading China to use even more coal and iron. Bona.
Especially useful at this time when, after the Afghan debacle, sensible people might consider cutting back the military and security forces. They could see this coming and laid plans to avoid redundancies all round – no peace dividend for us. Bad luck on the Army and Air Force though, perhaps they have a plan in the works too.
September 19, 2021
British academic institutions receive funding from the CCP. Why?
Indeed a racist and Marxist organisation that has infected the British political, academic and media class with its woke poison that has been turned AGAINST THE BRITISH PEOPLE has been receiving CCP funding for years. Why?
Whose side are MPs on? It certainly isn’t the people who put you into Parliament once every 5 years
And now China is the new enemy it seems. Yes, we know the Chinese Marxist State is evil and expansionist but the western political class have embraced their Marxist ideology and turned it AGAINST western citizens
Truthfully, I believe the threat is both within our own borders and external to it
British and US politician remove our voice, demonise us using vile laws and expose us to conditioning using the rancidity of CRT and then expect us to gaze eastwards
If it wasn’t for the free-lunch parasitism political parties encourage to maintain electoral support the main parties would no longer exist
September 19, 2021
A closer relationship with the Quad in Asia is a good idea, offering further business opportunities as well as cementing alliances
Please tell us what these business opportunities are. I am sure we would all love to know how Brexit is making us richer (as promised ).
Reply The immediate ones lie in the submarine contracts to follow
September 19, 2021
Ok submarines to you , every single other thing we do make or provide …to me .
September 19, 2021
Notwithstanding the “The idea of an EU army is no more than a europhobic fantasy” lie spread by some, eg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=parNXIhNXG8
this analysis of the present EU treaties:
https://www.brexit-watch.org/without-brexit-there-could-be-no-aukus
demonstrates that:
âWithout Brexit there could be no âAUKUSââ
Just to add that the evident willingness of President Biden to enter into AUKUS despite the UK government’s increasingly firm moves against the Irish protocol completely outweighs anything that he, or Nancy Pelosi, or nationalists in Northern Ireland, or southern Irish politicians, or treacherous Remainers in the UK, may say about the latter.
Not that the UK actually needs a special trade deal with the US anyway:
https://johnredwoodsdiary.com/2021/09/17/letter-to-michael-gove/#comment-1260452
September 19, 2021
Denis, the aim for a European Union military is in the Lisbon Treaty, in black and white. There is a whole chapter devoted to it.
At the time of the referendum there was no prospect at all of its materialising, because the UK – amongst others – said that they would always veto it.
So anyone claiming that people who were scared of such a thing were groundlessly afraid was quite correct.
You can exploit the fact that hardly a single Leave voter read the Treaty to pretend that the whole thing was a secret conspiracy hidden by a campaign of lies if you like, but that’s plainly silly given the express intentions in that famous Treaty, and to which anyone remotely serious can refer at any time.
September 19, 2021
During the referendum the Remain side expressly denied that there were any plans for an EU army. That denial was a lie.
September 19, 2021
Well, why didn’t you read the Treaty and capitalise on that, if that is true?
It’s not though is it?
There’s a difference between “prospect” and “plans”
September 20, 2021
You think the general public could even readily access these treaties before the wider availability of the web in the late 90’s, even then spare the time from busy working and family lives.
Instead all relied on the integrity of politicians and government to represent the best interests of everyone but instead politicians, civil servants and activists exploited this fog of life to slip through all sorts of detrimental decisions and agreements with lies and deceit.
And still we had no say whatsoever in the various treaties so the only recourse was to press MPs for action and a referendum while voting for UKIP – all of which I did since I never wanted us to be a part of the EEC-EU.
What has been made abundantly clear is that no politician or civil servant who favours the EU can ever be trusted in any way, on anything, ever.
September 19, 2021
Agreed Richard1
Thank you for another excellent post.
Martin like many remain supporters is just trying to revise history.
September 19, 2021
MiC
Then why did the EU elite and pro EU politicians deny that plan existed for years ?
Europhobics, conspiracy theorists, dangerous fantasists was what people like Clegg and many others shouted when the reality of the EU’s ambition was mentioned.
Especially during the referendum campaign.
Perhaps you should consider and ask them why they continued with this policy when as you correctly say the ambition was in the Treaty.
You also must know how widening the areas of QMV was being introduced so your veto reference fails on this point and because Clegg and his pals were dismissing that the idea of an EU military force even existed at all.
You are trying to rewrite history MiC, but there is too much evidence both written and televised available, that ruins your efforts.
September 19, 2021
They didn’t, quite simply.
September 19, 2021
Who is they who “didn’t quite simply”?
Do a quick Google search before you make yourself look foolish.
PS
Did you look at the video Denis posted?
September 20, 2021
@MiC – still twisting the truth, facts, still wriggling on the hook …
see Spectator September 4. 2021 “Six times Remainers denied an EU army would happen”.
September 19, 2021
That was not the claim made by Nick Clegg. He could have admitted that it was in the EU treaties but offered the reassurance that while the UK was still an EU member we would always stop it happening – although in fact that would have been a false reassurance, as the UK government may well have continued to agree to move in that direction, step by step – but instead he denied that there was any such intention, dismissing it as a “dangerous fantasy”. No matter how you wriggle it is perfectly clear what he meant, and that it was a straight lie.
September 19, 2021
Maybe Clegg reasonably assumed that any serious opponent already knew that.
September 19, 2021
Nah..he knew what he was doing.
September 19, 2021
Thank you Denis.
Another excellent post from you.
September 19, 2021
@MiC – keep on twisting
September 19, 2021
MiC knows what he is doing dixie.
Just like Clegg.
September 20, 2021
How can there ever have been a conspiracy of lies, over something which is expressly stated as an aim in an international treaty?
All that anyone had to do was to read it, but that would have been too much to ask, wouldn’t it?
September 20, 2021
You are now going on about a whether there was a “conspiracy of lies” which is another red herring.
Many people knew what was in the treaty and that is why it was so dreadful when Clegg and many other EU elite and pro EU remainers kept on denying it.
Looked at Denis’s clip of Clegg yet?
No mention of a veto do you notice?
September 21, 2021
Sorry, I can’t see what your point is.
It seems to me that Clegg simply took a silly position.
However, even your highly-edited clip fails to prove him a liar.
There was literally NO prospect of a European Union military, so long as this country was a member and did not wish it, no matter what it said in the Treaty.
September 21, 2021
The veto argument is a complete red herring
(And anyway, QMV was developing out of the treaties and expanding into foreign policy areas in the near future which could easily have ended our veto in this area)
But I digress:-
The main point is that EU elite and their pro EU fans like Clegg, maintained there wasn’t even a slightest ambition for a military force for years and even worse and heaped abuse on anyone who tried to say otherwise.
September 19, 2021
If you are going to invest billions in submarines you might as well invest in the superior technology and effectiveness of nuclear Vs diesel power – at least you can stay below the surface longer and safer with nuclear. I read that the New Zealand PM declined to join AUKUS because of its dependence on exports to China. It reveals the political strength of Chinese trade links. Will it have future security implications?
September 19, 2021
I suppose when China wants to steal NZ’s sheep they would be under a threat, but until then the Chinese probably think ‘NZ- who?’
September 19, 2021
â We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow. â
Lord Palmerston, Speech to the House of Commons (1848).
Johnson et al very keen to point out that the nuclear powered subs will not ( but could) carry nuclear weapons. Hummm! Runs contrary to NPT? And thereâll be loads more nuclear bits and bobs floating around the world, proliferation of uranium enrichment technology?
Wonât all this make Australia a bit of a target in the future? Or Australia already feeling vulnerable because of Chinese nuclear power?
September 19, 2021
Agreed, EH.
September 19, 2021
Australia are feeling vulnerable because they rely on long sea routes for their fuel/energy imports and these could be threatened by Chinese submarines. These new subs will most likely be Hunter Killer types, designed to track down other subs. Being nuclear they can stay at sea longer, are harder to detect, are faster and can sustain submerged speeds for longer than diesels – everything you need to protect your sea supply lines from submarine threats.
The Chinese have been playing silly B’s recently – such as placing 200% tariffs on Aussie wine (because the Aussies didn’t toe the Chinese line WRT the original source/cause of Covid).
Nor has this just hasn’t happened out the blue- the Chinese have been expending their blue sea navy at a rate of knots (it is now larger than the US Fleet) and the Australians are just reacting to a very real threat.
September 19, 2021
You are right to point out the statement by, Lord Palmerston. We need to follow what is in OUR best interests which was a main point of BREXIT.
September 19, 2021
Macron has been kicking up a real fuss about this cancelled contract with Australia, but it’s all down to greed, and it deserved to be cancelled.
The original French negotiating team agreed that a good amount of the project would be carried out in Australia, but were sacked when they returned home. The contract was renegotiated, several times it seems, with less benefit to Australia each time.
Like the petulant child he is Macron represents everything that is unacceptable about France.
September 19, 2021
He didn’t call any nation what Johnson called the French, did he?
September 20, 2021
Any name calling was well deserved – Macron is not just a clown, he’s a trouble making idiot
September 20, 2021
You clearly don’t even begin to grasp irony, do you Bryan?
September 20, 2021
Johnson’s appalling insult was not simply directed at Macron. It was directed at “the French”.
September 19, 2021
+1
September 19, 2021
The French government can’t accept that it is now a pretty insignificant country globally – especially when compared to the UK.
AUKUS is a reality check for the French, and boy do they hate it. The French foreign minister goes on about the “stature” of France, not realising that, in reality (as opposed to inside his head), this is a very SMALL stature. France is only important within the EU, which is why they focus all their attention on this. Britain is a major global power and can thrive outside the EU, France could not. And that’s what really hurts their ludicrously bloated sense of self-importance.
September 19, 2021
It will be decades before these new boats are built. I don’t know what our contribution will be but I suspect it will be minimal.
If our governments had not abandoned the building of diesel/electric boats maybe Australia would have talked to us instead of France. We need to get started on remaking our own coastal defence capacity, and rebuild our manufacturing capacity and capability. It is frightening how much we are dependent on countries, like France for much of it and technology – this is likely to used against us even more now, but complacent and naive leaders and opinion formers dismissed such risks for years.
The big nuclear ones we have are welcome but we need to defend our near waters. We also need more smaller destroyers and fast gunboat types, both types with more armament than current ships carry.
September 19, 2021
“I donât know what our contribution will be but I suspect it will be minimal.” You are right to admit to your ignorance, as this is apparent. The UK has a nuclear-powered submarine, known as the Astute-class, which is perfect for Australia. As I have pointed out elsewhere, it is faster, cheaper and needs fewer crewmen than the US Virginia-class sub. I would be very surprised if the Australian were not to lean heavily on the UK. Remember that Scott Morrison approached Boris Johnson FIRST.
And contrary to your comments, our technology is, in general, far superior to anything the French have. To claim that we are dependent on them is absurd. Technologically and militarily we are way ahead of either the French or even the EU as a whole.
September 19, 2021
China has 79 submarines (patrol in china sea)
Australia has 6 submarines (patrol in australasia)
USA has 68 submarines (patrol in all oceans)
UK has 11 submarines (patrol in all oceans)
(https://www.globalfirepower.com/navy-submarines.php)
Due to appeasement I predict a conflict (probably navy) in the china seas within the next 10 years
September 20, 2021
I wonder what some folk would say, if a global power decided that they needed to do something about US influence in the western Atlantic?
September 20, 2021
Some folk would say ‘is that a problem, is there a need?’
September 20, 2021
Aye.
September 19, 2021
Watching the Andrew Marr show this morning with Alok Sharma MP (GREEN PARTY)
September 19, 2021
Don’t know what eight new nuclear powered submarines are going to do any more than eight surface vessels in the South China Sea? The water depths here are so shallow in most parts and littered with reefs it is doubtful whether a submarine could submerge to any great depth as to be undetected by Chinese military or surface listening devices, transponders and satellites etc. Every vessel underway even the ones manoeuvering by stealth gives off its own frequency signature – the only way to circumvent this is to go into the deeper waters of the Pacific Ocean and stay down – but then what would be the point – the whole thing is window dressing. The US gets to buffer its presense in SE Asia – the Australians get some new Subs which should boost morale – and Britain gets that trade deal with Oz so badly needed to counter the brexit blues- details to be announced soon
September 19, 2021
Harvey. All good points and the French get snubbed. Great stuff.
September 19, 2021
Like the agreed special trade deal with the EU and a hypothetical special trade deal with the US the prospective special trade deal with Australia would be of negligible/trivial/marginal value to the UK and do little to counter any “Brexit blues”, even if such blues actually existed to any significant extent which they do not.
September 19, 2021
Am afraid we are not going to get that great trade deal we’d like from Biden
He has shown at every turn that as far as he’s concerned it’s America first
September 20, 2021
Yes, like every other US president except for Bill Clinton, perhaps.
September 20, 2021
and why would you expect anything else?
Oh….is it that consecutive UK PMs appear to be very good at being part of a ‘deal’ that favours the other side?
September 19, 2021
I seem to remember that the UK sold off our world class Chip manufacturing capability?
Shame about New Zealand selling out to the CCP, everything should be done to sever their tentacles which give them so much influence behind the scenes, wasnât Boris inviting Huawei to supply out 5g telephone equipment until he was dissuaded by the much missed President Trump, I also remember that Boris almost tripped up in his haste to welcome the disastrous Biden, Boris making one of his many terrible decisions!
September 19, 2021
A very important point about AUKUS that the Britain-haters (such as the Remoaners and the French) have deliberately tried to distort, is that the UK is not a junior ot peripheral partner, but a central player. Scott Morrison came to us FIRST, seeking OUR agreement and support before we then jointly approached Biden. Far from us being led by the US, the truth is the opposite: the US is being led by the UK! Also, people need to remember that Britain’s Strategic Defence and Security Review published way back in 2015 stressed the need to increase our involvement ‘East of Suez’ and in the Pacific, so again this alliance is completely in line with OUR prioritites – decided long ago.
September 19, 2021
The US is no more being led by the UK over this than was that the case when Blair ran to Bush’s side after the Twin Tower attacks and so straight into the “war on terror”.
Don’t be silly.
September 19, 2021
” . . .OUR priorities . . . ”
Exactly !
September 19, 2021
Good point
September 19, 2021
So afresh we witness Joe “back-stabber” Biden being more Trumpian than Trump, minus the offensive tweets, naturally.
Macron now cannot afford not to be seen exercising early his dominion over whomever becomes German Chancellor or else the world really will view France as a diminished power, relegated to being an after-thought.
September 19, 2021
I quite agree about France: in and out of NATO, or a la carte, for as long as I can remember, and always the excuse was anti Americanism. With a common enemy like China, to say nothing of Iran, Russia, North Korea, and global terrorism, you would think she might be a bit more grown up and responsible, or at least in public.
September 19, 2021
16/09/2021 âChina, candidate to join the trans-Pacific free trade agreementâ, FT.
September 19, 2021
China’s application to join this trade alliance came AFTER the announcement of AUKUS. Funny how they suddenly seem a bit concerned about being isolated in the region! And the member states of the CPTPP have made clear the the UK’s application to join this was made first and will be considered FIRST. We are, to coin a phrase, at the front of the queue!
September 19, 2021
Xi gave his green light to it in November 2020, a draft document had been sent by the Chinese to New Zealand (the âadministratorâ of CPTPP) in February 2021. The formal document indeed was sent on 16/09/2021 (according to asia.nikkei.com).
Moreover the RCEP (15 countries on the Western side of the Pacific, including China and Australia) is supposed to be made effective by 01/01/2022.
September 19, 2021
Sorry, not âmade effectiveâ, but âbecome operationalâ.
September 19, 2021
We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. The Conservative Government in 2016 turned to French Steel makers for the steel to make UK Submarines – in a snub to UK Steel Companies. The Conservative Government allowed the high tech electronics companies that manufacture the eyes and ears of UK submarines and surface ships to be sold off and taken under control of the French Government. Other electroncs used on these sumarines comes from Germany and the US. So each sumarine that is launched is first and formost with the conseent of the Political will of foriegn Governments. Each and every submarine launched is at enormous profit to foreign taxpayers at the expense of those in the UK that are paying for the kit. Even more wierdly the UK Government is selling off UK Companies so as they can be Nationalised by Foriegn Governments.
UK enterprise, and to a certain extent the UK taxpayer may have created and funded first class world state of the art technolagey. but it is the UK Government that has alowed to come under control of foriegn not to freindly Governments well outside of the UK’s control.
So which ever way you shake it out our Government can only make ‘indipendant’ commitments on our security and safety if there is political will in the countries that own our industry, our defence capability.
It is a clear neglect of duty by the UK Government – that is not the way a Government keeps a country safe and secure.
Otherwise the AUKUS alliance would be a wonderful idea
September 19, 2021
These submarines are very unlikely to ever be delivered. If they are they will be built in America. The UKâs role will be negligible.
And even if they are delivered it will take years, possibly decades, to do it. And it is unclear what the Australians will use them for – seeing that they are a military irrelevance as a country.
It actually looks like a pretty desperate act. Australia calls upon military has been the U.K., and failed superpower US to try to prove it is still relevant. The world shrugs.
September 19, 2021
âFailed superpower, the USâ.
Donât make me laugh. The only country in the world with the ability to prosecute war wherever it wants. Itâs withdrawal from Afghaninutistan does not make it a failed superpower. If it wanted to, it could level Afghaninutistan to the ground anytime it wanted.
September 19, 2021
Its withdrawal – not itâs withdrawal. Pesky phone.
September 19, 2021
Would France have delivered these submarines quicker?
And you think Australia is an irrelevance and America is a failed superpower…hilarious again Andy.
September 19, 2021
The Aussies will be as tickled as a bluebottle finding a ripe dunny.
In fact the more the threatening gestures from the Chinese the more US/UK will speed up the acquisition.
September 19, 2021
Andy. Another entertaining hilarious post. How do you do it?
September 19, 2021
If the USA wishes to contest its economic imperium in East Asia with the native Goliath that its short-sighted economic strategy has created over the last few decades, I would suggest that’s Washington D.C.’s concern. The R.N. prowling around off China’s coast is as questionably provocative to it as the ‘Chinese Peoples Liberation Navy’ loitering with unstated intent in the North Sea or on the Western Approaches would be to us – whilst offering disingenuous platitudes about “international waters”. Africa is nearer England & would seem to offer a more interesting prospect economically for us globally. Australia & NZ are a complicating factor, but given their immigration policies, their future in the medium-to-long term is increasingly Asiatic not Anglo-Saxon. We need to develop spheres of influence beyond the USA’s & stop trotting along behind it everywhere diplomatically. What’s manufactured in Taiwan can also be made elsewhere if required, & the continued pursuance of Free Tradism via TPP is questionable as a strategy if we wish to become a manufacturing power again.
September 19, 2021
I see John Keiger in the Spectator has suggested the French (who have considerable territorial and strategic interests in surprisingly sizeable areas of the Pacific) might find British support for some form of association with Aukus were they to use their imminent period of EU presidency to lead the EU on renegotiating the NI protocoll as the UK demands. This idea seems rather far-fetched on the face of it, but Keiger seems to think there is reason to believe that France really does want to be at the table, despite all the Macronian huffing and puffing about an ‘alternative European defence strategy’ and the hypocritical finger-wagging about ‘undermining NATO’ (from France, of all countries!:-)
September 19, 2021
I don’t think so, the French have been badly stung, they will almost certainly go it alone with their European partners and create a force to be reckoned with. They will have to go this way now because NATO seems to be failing
September 19, 2021
I wonder if one of the reasons why
France has not withrawn its ambassador from here is to confirm we are not a big supporter of AUKUS and remain a friend to France and their protestations are just a show.
September 19, 2021
I really don’t see how all that can be ‘confirmed’ since it is at best a startling proposition, and very probably the opposite of the truth. Over Brexit, trade, customs, fishing, NI and France is behaving less like a neighbour and more like an embittered enemy that wants to provoke a war.
September 19, 2021
Not at all – the French know full well that the whole AUKUS thing was schemed in No.10 with Boris and Liz Truss riding shotgun – they are just licking their wounds.
September 19, 2021
There are press reports of the EU “offering” to tie the U.K. into EU defence arrangements, with the Dutch PM visiting Downing Street this weekend to fly this kite. I hope he will be sent home with a flee in ear. As Canberra has learned it is easy to get stuck in a bad arrangement and costly to extricate yourself.
The reality is that U.K. public opinion will not support British lives ever being lost to defend hostile states like France and Germany. I am not sure why then Dutch PM is even being allowed into Downing Street to discuss U.K. being locked in defending the EU. It is an obvious non-starter that can only damage Boris Johnson.
September 19, 2021
Every cloud.
September 19, 2021
I foolishly thought for many years, and it was confirmed in my travels, that the Dutch seemed to have a regard for the Brits, their parents understood what WW2 meant and what was done to free them from tyranny. Since we struggled to actually have a vote on leaving EU, and then the decision to try to go gently, suddenly it is as if we have met all the Dutch new mothers in their country and exclaimed ‘ My God what an ugly baby’.
So, I would want to be clear to our visitor ‘ so we buy lots of your cut flowers, what else can you do for us?’
September 19, 2021
I have to share this most amusing quote from today’s Observer: “The exclusion of France from the Aukus pact leaves the UK at risk of further isolation after Brexit”. WTF??? We have just formed a major new global alliance with the US and Australia – to which France has been excluded – and somehow WE are the ones who are becoming more isolated??? Hilarious!
This insanity only makes sense when seen through the eyes of the Remoaner lunatics (as represented on this site by the likes of Andy and Mic) who do not believe that life exists outside the EU. They are, quite literally, mental obsessives who need psychiatric treatment.
September 19, 2021
Yes but this alliance is in the military sense only so what about commercial trade agreements which are much more important to us and with Australia located on the other side of the world between us we have only a handful of suitable merchant ships. Meanwhile there is a huge shortage of shipping containers in Asia and congestion in ports worldwide and now European owned shipping companie Maersk, Hapag and MSC are starting to anchor up their ships rather than carry empty containers half way round the world for very little – as they see it. We at home have real problems now without our Govetnment adding to the turmoil by commiting to militaty alliances again especially when we as a nation have no real reason anymore to be out there patrolling SE Asia or the far East. The whole thing is bonkers
September 19, 2021
Ha, ha. X-Tory. Great post
September 19, 2021
I read that the German ambassador to the UK thinks that the new AUKUS partnership threatened the âcoherence and unity of the Westâ, he needs to think again.
Almost every time there is a crisis it is the USA, the UK and Australia that step up to the plate. The Germans and the rest of Europe are nowhere to be seen, except, of course, France, if Macron can see a clear advantage to him in joining in.
The very idea of a European Army under Generalisimo von der Leyen is laughable. They would take six months or longer even to agree on which member states would join in before they even consider rules of engagement. The whole thing is nothing more than an opportunistic move to push further towards a United States of Europe.
Instead, Europe and Japan need to fall in behind the three AUKUS countries and NATO if they want to be taken seriously in defence matters. Merkel and Co take strategic defence nowhere near seriously enough, otherwise, they would never have put themselves in a position to be entirely dependent on Russian gas.
They should also take action against China. Have any German naval ships sailed through the South China Sea lately ? Thought not !
September 20, 2021
A German destroyer or frigate has just been denied permission to put into Shanghai.
September 19, 2021
I too welcome AUKUS, with the caveat that we must not merely be carrying the water for the US, getting involved in their quarrels, if there is nothing in it for us. The US has made clear that Biden is hostile to the very existence of the United Kingdom, and would like to force Britain (with Johnson’s craven acquiescence) into permanent EU rule of Northern Ireland. I think Johnson should be telling Biden we will not construct border infrastructure in Ireland under any circumstance — not least because there are 270 roads to cover — but that we will, if we wish, repudiate the Withdrawal Agreement if we deem it necessary to defend peace in Ulster, and that Biden/Pelosi will from now on zip it on Northern Irish issues. We can’t be foolishly working for other great powers –not forgetting what Palmerston said about there being no permanent allies — unless there is a fundamental recognition of our core interests. Of course, Johnson will not be saying any of this in his visit next week, but rather cowardly undertaking never to act in Britain’s interests.
September 19, 2021
After âa lost decadeâ of the independent attempts to stabilize the national economy, China was drawn into an orbit of the American policy towards the USSR and since late 1970s the favourable conditions for its economic advance were created by the USA. The Western aid to China was increased especially during the Soviet armed forces presence in Afghanistan and the Vietnamese ones in Cambodia. Now that the Soviet presence in these countries, as well as in the region, is no longer, further assistance to Chinaâs economy makes no sense. It is worth nothing that for China it implies that the newly-emerged faint traits of the free-market economy will vanish.
In the overall alignment of world forces and in the Asian Pacific region in particular, China will take the place of the former USSR and play its role. It will oppose both the USAâs interests, on one hand, and that of Japan, Korea and Taiwan, on the other hand.
September 19, 2021
Sir JR
most Eu countries have global trade and global defense interests as is hown by both Germany, Holland and France sending vessles to the South China Sea.
France and the US fight together with a number of European countries in Sahel and work with the Australians and the US in the Pacific and have done so for years as they do with India in the Indian Ocean, they are an integraed part of the western alliance across the world, and are still the longing standing allie of the US.
This is a short spell of irritation where nothing will change, Europe does need to have a defense capability outside NATO as well, Afghanistan unfortunately proves this.
September 19, 2021
bill now desperately trying to make the case for an EU armed force.
Having denied it was an EU ambition previously for years.
How times change.
September 20, 2021
Peter 2
I have always supported an EU military wing, so I am afraid you have a a selctive memory once more
September 20, 2021
Yet you regularly denied that ambition billy
The selective memory is your own
September 20, 2021
Baloney – the aim for such a force has a whole chapter devoted to it in the Lisbon Treaty.
How ever is that “denial”?
Yes, the UK veto on that is now gone, to the pleasure of 450 million.
September 20, 2021
Have you checked out the link Denis gave you where Clegg said it was a dangerous fantasy to even say the EU had a an ambition to have its own military force?
Keep wriggling MiC
September 19, 2021
People posting here, with their absurd little “I seem to remember” attempts to reduce its significance, simply do not get how big a deal this is. Don’t think forward ten years, try twenty five. Politically and economically. not to mention militarily, Boris has pulled off a huge coup.
September 19, 2021
Hear! Hear! You hit the nail on the head.
If the USA and UK join the TPP we will be part of the largest and most dynamic trade bloc on the planet – and they don’t milk money from us nor seek to control our laws. Nor do they seek monetary union or to become a superstate.
And… they actually operate defences which are enough to actually defend themselves, unlike the freeloaders in the EU who instead, get into bed with those who wish us ill, such as Nordstream 2.
They are unreliable allies and are best avoided. France is reaping what it sowed.
September 20, 2021
Hasn’t the US government just said they are not interested in a revived TPP?
September 19, 2021
NATO looks like a broken organization today. Hard to see where political consensus for any kind of common action might be found in response to a provocation from Russia except for the most obvious, blatant invasion of an Ally (only really likely in the Baltic States). I think Moscow is far too subtle and sophisticated for that.
The schism between the France/Germany/Italy group, who will I believe do a pragmatic deal with Russia at some point to establish a “new normal” on energy, security and trade in Europe, and the Anglo-Saxon group who seem set on confronting both Moscow and Peking, grows wider by the day. I can’t imagine how a meaningful decision in the NAC could be reached with the EU bloc speaking with one voice and the USUK bloc speaking with another. The treaty requires unanimity, unfortunately.
September 20, 2021
Russia has just completed a programme of disinvestment from the Baltics;Belarus now increasingly under Russia’s control will follow suit.Investment made in the ports of the Russian eastern Baltic and Kaliningrad will also divert trade away from them.A new LNG storage facility in Kaliningrad means the pipeline through Lithuania cannot be weaponised and the latter,despite passing a law to prohibit use of Russian/Belarusian energy, is finding it difficult to achieve this-particularly the cheap energy from the new Russian-built nuclear plant in Belarus that opened last autumn..They are stuffed!
September 19, 2021
Britain neglected Australia following our joining the EU and now Australia has sold its soul to the Chinese and the words “New world Order” have been openly mentioned on some Australian news channels!!!!! Coincidence??? There again how much money is the UK indebted to China, Hinkley Point, HS2 for starters etc.
China does nothing for anybody without a considerable future influence.
There is an existing agreement between the US, UK, Australia, Canada and NZ called “Five Eyes”which is the sharing of information between states? This agreement has been sabotaged by the UK, Australia, Canada and NZ in their disdain for President Donald Trump.
So the AUKUS agreement signed by the three Globalist, at present, nations does not mean a thing. If anybody really believes Biden is President then you need to wake up.
September 20, 2021
Should we not ask Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to join this Alliance?
September 21, 2021
An extremely good point, Lindsay.
But I think that this is trying to reanimate Churchill’s concept of The Friendship Of The English-Speaking Peoples, somehow.
September 20, 2021
I have to disagree with your analysis. Mr Putin is not going away.
I cannot tell what happened between Australia and France, however it is not clever to alienate the continent’s largest military power, assuming you don’t want Putinist satellite countries getting closer and closer.
As for Global Britain – guess what ? Your allegedly great chums, the USA and Australia, won’t let UK citizens in !
September 20, 2021
Here is an interesting article which has come my way:
https://www.eurointelligence.com/column/snookered-by-anglo-saxons
“Snookered by Anglo-Saxons”
“The Europeans have misread Biden and misjudged Johnson. A bad combination”