Defence Accord

Britain and France are today signing up to defence co-operation initiatives. The last time we had a military pact with France, outside Nato, was Suez and the time before that was WWII, when France was beaten by the Nazis. Neither of these examples give encouragement. Yet this is a very good move.

First of all there will be practical advantages which will provide opportunities for cutting costs and enhancing performance, or in Pentagon parlance, getting a bigger bang per buck. More important strategically, it moves us a little away from American dependence. Ever since the Manhattan Project, which was originally a British initiative, the McMahon act which cut us off from nuclear secrets and the subsequent deals first with Eisenhower and later with Kennedy which brought us back in, we have been locked into America’s defense programme and therefore its foreign policy.

This Blog has long advocated that this no longer serves British interests well. America is more than an ally or a friend, it is family. We will always be close and no matter what is said about the value, or even the existence of the special relationship, that kinship will never change. That does not mean we are denied other close allies outside Nato and the agreements with France will break the ice and give Britain back its confidence that it can work independently. In the end this will be more important than the nuts and bolts of the deal itself. In the long term a little more independence from Britain will benefit America too. It is not always good to have a buddy who says yes to everything.