Best Of
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
While I don't really doubt the need to spend more on defence, I also suspect that the issue is how the money is spent, not just how large the budget is. I'm no expert, but what I've read over many, many years is that the MoD is no bastion of efficiency or value for money in how it deploys its budget, and much waste and unwise spending is common. In other words, we should be getting more bang (sic) for our (current) bucks.
Many of the same people who say that throwing more and more money at the NHS is throwing money into a bottomless pit seem reluctant to apply the same argument to defence. But I reckon it's easier to gauge whether NHS money is improving outcomes than it is to determine the effectiveness of defence spending.
Many of the same people who say that throwing more and more money at the NHS is throwing money into a bottomless pit seem reluctant to apply the same argument to defence. But I reckon it's easier to gauge whether NHS money is improving outcomes than it is to determine the effectiveness of defence spending.
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
https://x.com/hoffman_noa/status/2065070141004452214
EXCL: The Green party is considering a new policy to ban circumcision, The Spectator can reveal.
EXCL: The Green party is considering a new policy to ban circumcision, The Spectator can reveal.
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
To be honest the idea Badenoch wouldn’t support reform is for the birds. She obviously would.
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
And of course, if we were still EU members, we could take out an EU defence loan on a 2% coupon.Denominated in a foreign currency. Bit risky.
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
Why did Starmer accept that from Miliband? He's lost Defence minister which seems to me far worse than losing your energy minister.Interesting.We may be missing the political significance here. The minister who refused to accept any cuts to pay for defence is Ed Miliband, widely touted as next Chancellor, and the Treasury source does not mention energy subsidies, CCS or Net Zero.https://x.com/pippacrerar/status/2065064675256025363"In effect" the Treasury is prioritising the triple lock over the nation's defence.
Treasury source suggests that John Healey was, in effect, asking for cuts to schools and hospitals to pay for extra uplift in defence spending.
"The chancellor will always do what is right and needed to keep this country safe, you can see that from her actions - a record uplift in defence spending at the spending review, and then working alongside the PM deliver billions more to fund the DIP".
See how that works ?
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
Oh dear, eagles has fallen for some bollocks on X:Err Tim Shipman retweeted Lee Cain's tweet, so I am guessing he is happy with the interpretation.
https://x.com/LoftusSteve/status/2065056435201872349
Worth watching the video. Kemi says Reform are left wing (which is true!).
Re: Private polling klaxon – politicalbetting.com
Japan fully annexed Korea in 1910. Their expansionist intentions were pretty clear well before WWI.Japan was allied to GB/UK/British Empire (depending on how you regard it) in WWI. Something the Americans allegedly fouled up.1905-1945 - the war of the New Imperial powers, as the rising empires of japan and Germany rose to challenge the longer-established empires of Britain, France and Russia. Though you could make a case to extending the start back to 1864-ish, and Prussia's rise to create Imperial Germany.If you consider the Hundred Years war as 1337 to about 1460, then arguably WW1 and WW2 are the same conflict.World War 2 arguably started in 1937 or even 1931vwith the Japanese invasion of ManchuriaYes many Ukranians will say the war has been ongoing since 2014.Today is the day that the war in Ukraine has outlasted World War I, the Great War.The Peninsular War lasted almost six years.
Ukraine is still fighting back, and in the last few months actually making headway at a cost of over a thousand Russian soldiers a day.
I understand that many Ukrainians regard the war as having lasted twelve years already, since the 27th February 2014 Russian military occupation of Crimea.
The WWI comparison today is from 24th Feb 2022, when the “SMO” started with the assault on Kiyv.
Again depends on ones interpretation of history.
I don't really believe there was much the western powers could have done to change significantly what was essentially generated by domestic Japanese politics. The alliance during WWI was largely used by Japan to advance its own interests.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taishō_era
Nigelb
1
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
And of course, if we were still EU members, we could take out an EU defence loan on a 2% coupon.
Nigelb
1
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
Absolutely. It's 2026 - we should have no place for people being given significant jobs because their ancestors shagged the right GermansAll the best people are.And me a republican. Tsk tsk.An understandable concern with titles, Your Majesty.It's over. Starmer and Reeves are finished. Mrs Starmer may as well start packing up the No 10 flat.That's Lady Starmer to you!
Re: John Healey aims a missile at Starmer & Reeves whilst Badenoch aims one at herself
Interesting.We may be missing the political significance here. The minister who refused to accept any cuts to pay for defence is Ed Miliband, widely touted as next Chancellor, and the Treasury source does not mention energy subsidies, CCS or Net Zero.https://x.com/pippacrerar/status/2065064675256025363"In effect" the Treasury is prioritising the triple lock over the nation's defence.
Treasury source suggests that John Healey was, in effect, asking for cuts to schools and hospitals to pay for extra uplift in defence spending.
"The chancellor will always do what is right and needed to keep this country safe, you can see that from her actions - a record uplift in defence spending at the spending review, and then working alongside the PM deliver billions more to fund the DIP".
See how that works ?
Nigelb
1