One of the first tasks confronting a new prime minister, after an audience with the King, is to write a “letter of last resort”. Sir Keir Starmer will be asked to write to an (unnamed) commander of a Trident missile submarine on patrol in the Atlantic. The letter might tell the commander, now uncontactable after a devastating strike on Britain, that the prime minister wished to … [Read more...] about Labour’s long addiction to nuclear weapons
Who should we bomb next?
The British government is playing a very dangerous game. Ministers and military chiefs are indulging in war fever, backed up not by credible threats but by empty rhetoric. They appear to enjoy the prospect of escalating conflict, and by doing so threaten Britain’s own security, rather than protect it as they claim. It is as if they hope it will divert attention from … [Read more...] about Who should we bomb next?
Nuclear threat yes, pandemic threat no
We now know that the government was warned last year that a viral pandemic posed the greatest potential threat to the country. In a confidential briefing from the Cabinet Office, which was leaked last week, ministers were told that tens of thousands of lives could be at risk if an outbreak occurred. Among the recommendations were stockpiling PPE (personal protective equipment) … [Read more...] about Nuclear threat yes, pandemic threat no
Federalism and ending the democratic deficit
The Brexit debate is deeply divisive with negotiations are so bogged down in detail that it is in danger of blinding the public (in England and Wales at least) to their seminal importance. It is also taking place against the backdrop of a huge but largely neglected contradiction.‘Take back control’, demand the Brexiteers. What does this mean in an age of powerful tech … [Read more...] about Federalism and ending the democratic deficit
At £167bn Trident is useless – and could destroy hundreds of frigate jobs
It is assumed by almost every commentator in Westminster, and of course Britain’s entire military establishment, in pubic at least, that replacing the Trident nuclear missile system (I hesitate to call it a deterrent, see below) with four new submarines, is inevitable.It may not turn out to be as easy or as comfortable as the UK government, many Labour MPs, and some unions … [Read more...] about At £167bn Trident is useless – and could destroy hundreds of frigate jobs