Edward Burke

Also coming at a time when talks on further EU-UK defence cooperation collapse in Brussels, not least due to absurd demands that Britain pays the EU for funds that it in turn cannot access.

The Borneo campaign ends in 1966.

Now, that is power.

"Privately EU officials said they struggled to argue the case since few companies wanted to give evidence on the record."

1956 saw the (sudden - Suez) increased importance of Aden and Oman / Trucial States in British strategy - with ramifications underlined by the Jebel Akhdar campaign in 1958/1959 (a formative commitment for 22 SAS).

Me (speaking very tentatively!) about some early research conclusions on Special Air Service (SAS) command and culture in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Thanks to the Society for the History of War and @unipotsdam.bsky.social for a wonderful 2025 annual conference in Potsdam.

The fact that European defence is an absolute priority for many EU MS right now and yet senior EU officials "do not think too much" about the UK, the most capable security / intelligence state in Europe, is in itself revealing about what is wrong in Brussels.

Indeed. This is not the BBC's job and to make it worse, in the same piece, Chris Mason again lurches into opinion and gives government carte blanche when he absolutely should not have!

A takeaway from my conference paper at SHOW on SAS command + culture in late 1950s/early 1960s: it takes time to explain why SAS officers' shoots at Chatsworth with Andrew Devonshire - related to the PM - matter when explaining how 22 SAS outflanked the Parachute Regiment in BA / Whitehall politics.

One word - vetting. And the absence of it

Mark Kelly on the Trump/Hegseth boat strikes: "If orders are illegal, not only do they not have to follow them, they are legally required not to follow them."

The Fourth Estate aint in good nick - unceasing hostility to pretty much everything the UK government does. And not a little inconsistency.

Labour lifted 450,000 kids out of poverty yesterday but according to Beth Rigby thats bad for Labour and as for the BBC, nah not even going to mention it.

Totally normally country, where the national broadcaster and biggest news channel clearly distain this Labour Government, not even hiding it.

Well this is new

How Ireland became the weak spot in Europe’s defences With few ships and limited intelligence-sharing, some say the country cannot hope to protect itself or its infrastructure

Must read FT piece today on neutral Ireland, the soft underbelly of European defence

By @judewebber.bsky.social and @helenwarrell.bsky.social

This is a really wonderful opportunity to work on a groundbreaking Troubles-related research project.
www.pmb.ox.ac.uk/vacancy/juni...

Very good!

Today, 25 November 2025, was the day I learned that the 3rd Marquess of Waterford, was the inspiration for the phrase "painting the town red", after doing just that while on a bender in Melton Mowbray in 1837. Red is not a colour I associate with the Waterfords / nor Melton Mowbray.

Shameful.

'“‘Instead of giving money to pensioners and employees, we would print vouchers that they could use to buy goods and services,'” Varoufakis said. When I heard this, I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. I reacted, ‘Are you serious?’” Tsipras recalled.'

The E3 (UK, France, Germany) counter-proposal for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine is vastly superior to the US sell-out.

It has a strong focus on Ukraine’s sovereignty, EU membership, security guarantees & reparations, and no surrender of free Ukrainian territory to Russian occupation.

💯 this

Begone Tr*ump whisperers - you gave everything including our self respect and received bupkis.

Barak Ravid on X: "FULL TEXT OF THE U.S. DRAFT PROPOSAL FOR A UKRAINE SECURITY GUARANTEE: 🚨This Framework establishes the conditions for an armistice between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and provides a security assurance modeled on the principles of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty," / X FULL TEXT OF THE U.S. DRAFT PROPOSAL FOR A UKRAINE SECURITY GUARANTEE: 🚨This Framework establishes the conditions for an armistice between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and provides a security assurance modeled on the principles of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty,

A quick run through of the Trump administration's proposal for a Ukraine security guarantee, which is a security guarantee in the same way that the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia is a party committed to liberalism and democracy. 🧵 x.com/BarakRavid/s...

Trump flattery will get you nowhere Fawning after the US president is not only humiliating — it doesn’t work

European sycophancy towards Trump has won very little. it has telegraphed weakness and invited more punches. Interesting to compare the respect he shows those who stand up to him rather than the repeated, escalating humiliation he dishes out to Europe.
on.ft.com/4prynPF

Zorgen in de Tweede Kamer over Amerikaanse overname van DigiD-partner Het van oorsprong Nederlandse cloud-bedrijf Solvinity komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen.

The Netherlands talks a big game about tech sovereignty, but is now about to allow the domestic cloud provider that underpins its national digital identity system and several other critical government services to be sold off to a new American owner.

Incomprehensible.

nos.nl/artikel/2591...

Wow, this is revealing...

RHR veterans produced a tome / bios on every soldier who served on certain tours in the 1970s. Some of it is a little dry / I didn’t quite figure out how to use it, but you might!

Wow, thank you Mark. There is so much more to do - and I am delighted you are doing it!

Have you drawn upon the Hampshire Regiment’s enormous archive on Banner in the National Army Museum? might be worth a 👀 if not.

Don't call it a peace plan. It isn't. It is a demand for capitulation.
Unacceptable