Some of the worst leaders in history have been inspiring.
I’d take a dull but competent technocrat over a blusterous populist any day.
The best leader I’ve lived under was a drab and colourless woman who was the very opposite of inspiring.
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An ex RAF fast jet pilot was posting a vid on X only last week, saying this, he had been approached to come back to train incumbents.
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Two days ago the Defence Minister ruled out National Service, saying in a written answer to a parliamentary question that NS would do more harm than good.
Say you don’t want to be Prime Minster without saying ‘I don’t want to be Prime Minister’
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The Tories are toast. 14 years and things are in a bad state. Time to go.
A certain element in their ranks sees the country as going to the dogs, and they believe that young people are no good - no discipline, work shy, feral and immoral. What they need is a Windsor Davies type (showing my age there) to bark at them, and teach them some manners, discipline and how to work hard, etc.
They have a fantasy for National Service that will solve all those perceived ills, but the fantasy doesn’t address a world we live in, and haven’t lived in for quite some time. It’s a pipe dream, and poorly thought out, but it won’t stop Rishi trying to earn some brownie points from the ‘Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells’ types.
Going beyond that, there is a potentially serious issue to address in terms of military scenarios we might face in the coming years. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the hundreds of thousands of troops deployed, have possibly changed the calculus of what we need.
I’m not suggesting for a second that a young person with the most basic training should be the answer. We need a well trained and equipped professional military - not a money-no-object sort of thing, but something that could answer the call if the shit hits the fan.
The sense I have is that it is down to the bare bones and isn’t as equipped as it might be to answer the potential situations that could be coming.
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Schapps isn’t saying that now, he has posted Sunak’s video montage on his X page.
The defence minister was Andrew Morrison.
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A Europe wide defence force would be useful right now.
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He’s the under-secretary.
He is a minister in the department of defence, and replying to a parliamentary question on behalf of the ministry.
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This is spot on.
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BBC:
- It comes as Labour says it will have a 100-day “security sprint” if elected on 4 July, to identify national security threats
100 days to identify security threats, not actually do anything about them. Well, that’s a vote winner right there.
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Well, some of those things are going to take longer than 100 days to do anything about them anyway. I’m assuming that he is talking about general security rather than military anyway. Changes are, that he will be presented with a list of names from MI5 that he needs to get shut of. One would hope that there aren’t any in his camp!
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Probably not enough time beyond agreeing what threats to prioritize and options to focus on - unless something really urgent presents itself. I dont think they actually get sworn in until 17 July. Parliamentary summer recess is only a week later on the 23rd. This could be altered if needed but not sure it is likely to as will give ministers time to learn their brief.
Ministers will need briefing and discuss key issues/ manifesto priorities with officials.
Then September and October there is conference season and a further recess.
There will be lots of work going on by departments to prepare bids for funding at the autumn budget and perhaps another 1 or 2 spending events that are potentially taking place during this time.
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The best satire I’ve ever seen on left wing politics is the “The People’s Front of Judea” sketch.
They spend more time fighting each other than their supposed common enemy.
It gets even worse in Scotland because you have the nationalist/unionist split as well.
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It’s a really crap time to have an election really. The only thing Starmer has done in advance is appointing Sue Gray as at least his cabinet should be briefed in advance about how everything is supposed to work.
In fact, having a former senior civil servant working with all the major parties wouldn’t be a bad idea.
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Perhaps a factor in the timing of it ?
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Yes, I hadn’t considered that. But I don’t see how that is an advantage for Sunak, just a disadvantage for the country.
Probably isnt one but allows for post election sniping by him or his successor as little appears to done by new administration? More about long term damage to opposition (particularly if Labour rush into delivering the wrong policies as a result) and aid a potential return to power for the party?
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