Defence

A Discussion Paper has been produced by the Government as part of the preparation for the Defence Review which will begin after the election of a new government.

One thing ought to be very clear. This country should by now have fully grown out of its Imperial past and must recognise that we can no longer use armed forces to intervene overseas as an instrument of foreign policy. The notion is out of date and weakens our authority causing us to become more of the problem than the solution. And we cannot afford it.

We need to organise an impregnable defence of the British Isles that will halt an enemy by land sea or air. For this we need a navy, an air force and an army. We need the best technology to make the fullest use of missiles, drones and satellites. We do not require mobile forces ready to deploy across the globe. No longer should our young people be asked to die on foreign fields in the muddled belief that our first line of defence is in somebody else’s country.

We do need to maintan our nuclear deterrent. Nutters everywhere must know that any country anywhere which attacks us will not survive to see out the day. That is defence. Much of the stuff we do now is not.