Huw Bennett

Can such an astoundingly bad decision by the U.K. Ministry of Defence best be explained as stupidity or corruption? Time will tell.

Back at the National Army Museum today, smiling due to the brilliant help provided by the archivists in the Templer Study Centre.

How depressing that someone of Wolf’s intelligence cannot see that. To consider the growing weight of debt crushing young people as perfectly acceptable is morally wrong. To think there won’t be political repercussions is just dumb.

A defence of a broken university funding system by a man who refuses to accept his opinion 20 years ago was a mistake. Universities can be funded from general taxation alone if those who benefit most in salary terms are taxed at a higher level than those who never attended.

Interesting, thanks. What do you make of the potential for raising debt from U.K. citizens via a War Bond or similar? NS&I doesn’t offer anything remotely appealing at the moment!

That’s not a huge difference really is it?

France and Japan have higher debt. Why isn’t this an option for the U.K.?

There is a politics of blaming the Treasury. It’s not always actually about the Treasury.

The constraints - such as “fiscal rules” and “no going back on Brexit” - are self-imposed. They are political choices by elected leaders. They are not immutable laws of economics. The British Government can increase defence spending whenever it likes.

It’s almost as though they have never heard the term military Keynesianism.

This is not a Treasury problem. This is a Labour parliamentary party problem. They have the (recently proven) ability to force the Prime Minister to do things he is reluctant to do. This is about a collective failure to protect the country, not one small ministry.

Agreed. Can a government driven by “growth” come up with a collectivist social mission for our national future? I don’t think so. They are still stuck in a 1990s mindset.

I agree. That’s why the SDR should have expanded the Army by at least one battalion - ideally one brigade - to signal serious intent. This is why I think the land debate will be dictated by Germany and Poland. We have forfeited the right to claim leadership.

Excellent point. I just don’t know how you overcome that without paying more and providing a vision of Britain that isn’t about individualism.

Disengagement with the state is crucial. This is why military reconstruction can only succeed if public services improve and if young people’s life chances get better. The pension triple lock has to be abolished immediately.

Agree completely. HMG is still acting as though the U.K. is a credible land power. Talk of deployment to Ukraine etc is entirely delusional. We should aim to get back to serious land capabilities, but be honest about how long it will take.

Young Britons have been screwed over on university debt, career mobility and housing. If any government attempts to conscript them I would expect to see riots on a poll tax level.

Mass will be provided primarily by Poland and Germany. British rearmament should focus on naval/home air defence first, whilst slowly rebuilding land capability.

The Army was at about 119k regulars in the mid-1990s without conscription. There’s no reason to think that isn’t achievable with sufficient incentives. I agree we need much more depth but don’t think the age of Corps-level capability is coming back.

Me. Politically impossible and strategically unnecessary.

Uncivil War: The British Army and the Troubles, 1966-75 YouTube video by NationalArmyMuseumUK

Delighted to have talked about “Uncivil War”, my book on the British Army in Northern Ireland, at the National Army Museum. If you missed it, here’s a recording:

A phrase indicative of HM Treasury attitudes towards Ministry of Defence spending, from 1991. Has anything changed since then?

One Whitehall official said there were robust processes in place to ensure that government contracts are awarded fairly and transparently.

That £240m contract Palantir won after Peter Mandelson took Keir Starmer to visit them? Government asserts "there were robust processes in place to ensure that government contracts are awarded fairly and transparently" but the award notice says it was a "directed award", ie without any competition.

My postdoc at @durham.ac.uk is now open for applications! Three years research, open field.
Happy to answer any questions/chat/give feedback on applications.

NB: You *must* be nominated by a department - check with the department for the internal procedure/deadline.
www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...

If only the government had a thumping great majority and the prospect of serious electoral rewards for doing something proactive…

Real leadership from Spain on protecting the public from digital harms. Is the U.K. government capable of such ambition?

Given the further revelations of Peter Mandelson’s potentially criminal conduct, UK Security Vetting, and the Prime Minister, have some questions to answer.

Glen has nailed what is happening to UK universities (again). All the grand strategists pontificating about the UK's future in a post-rules based international order need to realise that one of the critical sectors they tout as "world leading" is on the verge of collapse.

Two things should happen on Monday morning. Starmer should withdraw the Labour whip and the police should open a corruption investigation.

🕵️‍♀️ Last chance to nominate #intelligence books for the Polly Corrigan and Kjetil Hatlebrekke Book Prizes. 🤩