What’s the real reason Starmer axed his national security adviser?
Keir Starmer is making a big mistake by cancelling the appointment of one of Britain’s top generals as national security…
The EU finally takes the Red Sea crisis seriously
An oil tanker carrying 150,000 tonnes of crude oil is on fire and adrift in the Red Sea, after Houthi…
There’s no such thing as ‘proper Conservatism’
The contest to be the next leader of the Conservative party, which has six entrants and will last until November,…
No, the British army should not recruit Afghan soldiers
John Simpson, the BBC’s world affairs editor, is a distinguished broadcaster whose career spans seven decades, from interviewing the exiled…
Labour have already made a massive mistake on defence
It is possible to have some sympathy for the Defence Secretary John Healey, despite the irritating self-serving mantra of Rachel…
What’s up with Elon Musk?
It’s hard to keep track of Elon Musk. The X/Twitter boss has been busy taunting ‘TwoTierKeir’ Starmer over his handling…
It’s not surprising Russia wants to spy on Britain
The British Army’s Field Army Threat Handbook has warned soldiers of potential Russian espionage at UK sites where Ukrainian military…
There’s no excuse for this thuggery
On Friday night, I watched the news with a sick heart. I watched masked men in Sunderland throw bricks and…
Is Farage already sick of being an MP?
Nigel Farage was elected as MP for Clacton by a solid margin of 8,405. Four other Reform UK candidates were…
Is Robert Jenrick fit to lead the Tories?
As the Conservative leadership contest gets underway, the various candidates are busy talking up their differences. But most of the…
John Healey’s ‘joint declaration’ with Germany is pure waffle
The new cabinet cannot be accused of laziness. John Healey, secretary of state for defence, has just been on a…
Starmer needs more than money to solve his Northern Ireland problem
Keir Starmer has been in office for less than three weeks, but his government has spent an unusually large amount…
Starmer’s ‘defence review’ is much-needed
While this new government’s approach to many issues – the NHS, prisons, China policy – seems to start with a…
Does Starmer’s ‘cast-iron’ defence spending pledge mean anything?
When the agenda for this week’s Nato summit in Washington DC was announced, one of the items on it was…
What will Starmer’s fellow world leaders make of him at the Nato summit?
In Westminster, Sir Keir Starmer is still in the honeymoon period as Prime Minister. In Washington, where Starmer heads for…
What will David Lammy’s ‘gear shift’ mean?
Next summer, David Lammy will celebrate 25 years as a Member of Parliament. At 51, he has just been appointed…
The election has left Irish unionism in crisis
The voters of Northern Ireland are used to being an impenetrable afterthought to most mainstream commentators in Britain. The general…
Mark Rutte can’t rescue Nato
No-one really thought that Klaus Iohannis, Romania’s president since 2014, was going to be the next secretary general of Nato.…
Unionists are right to feel furious with Nigel Farage
Nigel Farage likes to see himself as a reliable pal, so it was very much in that spirit that Reform…
Sunak’s D-Day departure was extraordinarily disrespectful
Rishi Sunak’s decision to leave Thursday’s 80th anniversary commemoration of D-Day in Normandy was extraordinary, stupid and disrespectful. He accompanied…
Have the Tories done enough for veterans?
The Conservative party is returning to defence and security for another election pitch and has unveiled a series of measures…
Starmer’s ‘national security’ pitch looks insecure
Still haunted by the memory of Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, Keir Starmer has devoted today to reassuring the electorate that he…
Labour’s law and order plans are pure vibes
Most observers would agree that Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, is a serious person. One newspaper profile last year spoke of…
Labour needs to be clearer on defence
It used to be axiomatic of British politics that the Conservative party held a reputational advantage when it came to…
The logic of national service
It would be hard to argue that the Conservatives have had a flawless start to the 2024 general election campaign.…
