Rt Hon Sir Grant Shapps

'Kremlin isn't cowed by PowerPoint – we need actions to actually boost defence' Social media soundbites won't keep Britain safe.

Kremlin isn't cowed by PowerPoint – three actions that would actually boost defence:

www.express.co.uk/news/politic...

South Western Railway first rail firm renationalised by Labour The first service under new public ownership was partially operated by a rail replacement bus.

This is Labour’s political dogma - driven by their union paymasters. Axing competition won’t improve services for passengers or value for money for the taxpayer!

www.bbc.com/news/article...

YouTube video by Times Radio Politics ‘Clown’ Starmer was ‘freaked’ into Chagos deal by lawyer friends | Grant Shapps

Our government has been completely duped and outclassed by lawyers to whom Starmer couldn't seem to say ‘no’. Now it’s costing us both our sovereignty and a great deal of taxpayer cash!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3te9...

I received all the same briefings and this interpretation is simply inaccurate and completely spineless from this government.

UK signs deal to hand over Chagos Islands and lease back military base for £101m a year Keir Starmer, announcing the deal, says the agreement with Mauritius is in the UK's national interest.

Shameful. Surrender!

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cl...

Keir Starmer's Chagos surrender thwarted at the last second as injunction granted BANNING Labour from handing over islands to Mauritius A late night injunction was granted over the controversial deal

Starmer tried to wave the white flag. The courts have stopped him for now - just in time.

www.gbnews.com/politics/kei...

If you want peace, prepare for war | The General & the Journalist

Spot on!

Former Cabinet Secretary Simon Case said Britain should start spending 3 percent of its GDP on defence “right now” to counter an “axis of rival and enemy states.”
shows.acast.com/6825a844b1b7...

Labour promised low inflation - in April, it went up again. More tax, more debt, more rising prices. Britain can't afford this.

Government Admits It Cancelled Tory-Ordered Review into MoD ‘Diversity’ Practices Last February then-defence secretary Grant Shapps ordered a full "root-and-branch review of ethnicity, diversity and inclusivity policies" in the Ministry

Labour binned my MoD diversity review because it 'didn’t fit their priorities'. Now the RAF faces a 30% pilot shortfall after chasing diversity quotas. Putting ideology above readiness is reckless. Our forces need merit to keep Britain safe.

order-order.com/2025/05/20/g...

Putin not on Kremlin list of officials attending Ukraine peace talks in Turkey The Russian president had been challenged by Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky to meet in person at the talks on Thursday.

Putin won't even turn up to his own peace talks - so much for wanting peace!

#Ukraine #StandWithUkraine

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I get the point President Trump is making on Europe paying for its own defence, but he’s coming off like a swaggering bully – and more elected leaders actually need to call him out.

#Defence #Ukraine #Trump

In a world of shifting alliances, Ukraine's military creativity is proving a powerful weapon against Putin.

Listen to my full take with Andrew Neil on Times Radio at the London Defence Conference: youtu.be/wa4YSW9Pul4?...

How to survive the morning broadcast round Politicians of all stripes will tell you that the slog of breakfast time interviews constitutes the morning ritual from hell. So this week on Westminster Insider, host Patrick Baker speaks to those…

This week I joined Patrick Baker on @politico.eu's Westminster Insider to reflect on surviving the morning media round.

WARNING: may contain actual insight, buried beneath the usual evasion.

www.politico.eu/podcast/west...

MADNESS! Bullying a Brighton supplier out of the F-35 chain isn’t ‘peace’, it’s a gift to Putin. Weakening British jobs and NATO security is naïve posturing - our enemies are laughing.

104-year-old VE Day pilot pleads with veterans’ minister to double defence spending 104-year-old Second World War pilot Colin Bell criticised the government's proposed defence spending target, telling veterans minister Alistair Carns, “I think it’s rubbish.” Mr Bell, who joined the R...

104 year old veteran issues urgent wake up call to Britain.

#VEDay80 #Defence

www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/ve-d...

Hugely moving to watch the incredible 80th VE Day commemorations today. A powerful tribute to the courage, sacrifice, and unity of a generation that shaped our freedom. #VEDay80

D-Day veteran and tank crewman Cecil Newton dies aged 101 Mr Newton served in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards as a loader in an amphibious Sherman Tank.

I was deeply moved to hear of Cecil Newton's passing, a true hero of D-Day. At 20, he landed under fire at Gold Beach and helped liberate Europe. He lived to 101, bearing witness to the freedom he fought for. We owe him - and his generation - a debt we can never repay.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I don’t often back Blair. But on Net Zero, he’s spot on. Time for realism over ideology.

Catch my interview on LBC this morning. ➡️ www.globalplayer.com/videos/2JsSc...

#NetZero #EnergySecurity

Strongly welcome this action, which I believe to be the first UK strike against the Houthtis since I ordered action last May. Freedom of navigation (being able to use international waterways) is of fundamental importance to global trade.

President Trump's first 100 days: less leadership, more grievance-fueled theatre.

Hear more in my interview with GB News ⬇️

We can't afford a Cold War mindset with China. Our economies are intertwined - we need smart engagement, market access, and a consistent UK policy that draws the right lines. 🇬🇧🇨🇳

Let's see if this is any more meaningful than his Easter truce - during which Putin simply continued bombing and invading Ukraine!

Precisely why now is not the time to give in to Putin by rewarding him for his illegal invasion of Ukraine!

Secrecy rule 'stops me sharing why Trump is in cahoots with Putin' The former Tory MP said he had 'some theories' to explain the US President's 'support' for Russia 's leader, who he branded a 'tyrant' and 'dictator'.

America was once the defender of liberty. Now President Trump wants to hand Ukraine to Putin on a platter - it's naive, dangerous, and morally bankrupt.

There’s something deeply disturbing about Trump's deference to Putin.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

New trains delayed by ‘ludicrous’ union row over closing the doors Dispute put brakes on rollout of South Western Railway’s new £1bn fleet

Who shuts the doors?

That question has delayed a £1bn fleet meant to modernise our railways.

Labour’s union paymasters strike again - and passengers are the ones who suffer.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04...

Deeply depressing from the so-called Leader of the Free World!

Happy St George's Day!

If the free world’s leader can’t distinguish between a tyrant and the nation he invades, what message does that send to those fighting for democracy?

Starmer close to EU arms deal — at the expense of fishermen British firms will be able to bid for the new €150 billion EU defence fund after the UK makes concessions on fishing quotas

At a time when Europe’s security is under threat and US commitment is uncertain, EU leaders should welcome the UK defence industry - not attach strings.

This is about security, not a choice between fish and freedom. #Defence #UK #EU #NATO

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Ex-UK Defence Secretary’s Blunt Take on Trump Grant Shapps shares candid views on Trump, UK-China relations, AI defense, and the future of global security in this week’s episode.

It's disgusting the leader of the free world is incapable of telling the difference between a dictator and an illegally invaded democratic country. Hear my edition of the One Decision Podcast with Kate McCann & Sir Richard Dearlove.

www.onedecision.com/podcast/ex-u...