Army
Why is the army trying to recruit snowflakes?
Imagine sending a snowflake to fight Isis. Imagine packing off the kind of people who shake and weep when they…
Macron’s naive plan to revive national service
Emmanuel Macron’s vow to press ahead with plans to bring back national service for France’s youth has taken many by…
Defence cuts should trouble us all
This week, General Sir Nick Carter, Chief of the General Staff, made it quite clear how he would like to…
David Cameron’s Unstrategic Defence Review
Michael Fallon’s confirmation last week that a Strategic Defence and Security Review is underway adds another question to the Conservatives’ growing list…
Farewell to Afghanistan (for now)
Britain has ended combat operations in Afghanistan. The war did topple the Taleban, but it hasn’t got rid of them.…
Iraq and Syria are lost causes: Western intervention can’t help – or can it?
Iraq and Syria are lost causes: Western intervention can’t help. Well, at least that was the motion put forward on…
A brief history of biker gangs at war – Islamofascist Iraq edition
America and Britain are still fumbling for policies to deal with nationals joining the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.…
Jonathan Powell interview: middle-man to the terrorists says ‘secret talks are necessary’
Jonathan Powell is a British diplomat who served as Tony Blair’s chief of staff from 1997 to 2007. During this…
Why does the army still refuse to see any wrong in the execution of soldiers during WWI?
Will the military ever see any wrong in the execution of 306 soldiers for cowardice and desertion in World War…
Let women fight on the front line, but only if they pass the tests
The head of the British Army has given the clearest sign yet that women will soon be given the right…
War from the ground up and the limits of modern government?
Emile Simpson’s War from the Ground Up, hailed by no less an authority than Michael Howard (the historian, not the politician) as…
The Supreme Court Mothballs the British Army
The British Army may never go to war again. Not because it is under-resourced and over-stretched but because, as of…
Nemo me impune lacessit: defending an independent Scotland
Sometimes I wish Conservative cabinet ministers would couch their arguments in favour of the Union in terms of principle, not…
The Great Defence Procurement Rip-Off, Housing Edition
There’s no business like government business. Reacting to Philip Hammond’s statement on future army basing yesterday, today’s newspapers have led…
Europe's defence budgets may not be noble, but they are at least rational
Gideon Rachmann is unhappy that european defence budgets are still falling: Since 2008, in response to the economic downturn, most…
Half of the British Army's officer corps is privately educated. Does that matter? - Spectator Blogs
An interesting spot, courtesy of the good chaps at Think Defence. From Hansard: Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North, Labour)…
Women on the frontline isn’t simply a matter of equality
It won’t take long for the US decision to allow women in combat roles to travel here according to The…
Philip Hammond’s Iranian justification for keeping Trident
The Sunday shows have been dominated today by the aftermath of George Entwistle’s resignation. But Phillip Hammond gave a significant…
The Predictable End of An Old Fighting Song
Years ago, before government began to take its toll I remember reading an interview with young David Cameron published by…
Death by 100 Cuts: The Army Downsizes. Again.
The next round of army cuts will be announced next month as the government reduces reconfigures Britain’s military capability yet…
If Liam Fox is to be sacked, let it be for the right reasons.
Since Liam Fox’s lawyers are busy, twitchy buggers I’ll make a point of saying I have no idea whether he’s…
Tory Defence Meltdown
How many Tory MPs came into parliament – even this parliament – thinking they’d be asked to support a Tory-led…
General outspokenness
Recent wars have given rise to an unusual phenomenon in British civil-military relations: frequent, and often high-profile interventions, by serving…
A Vanished Scotland
Speaking of a Scotland that is no more (or largely no more), here’s video of the Reverend Dr Donald McDonald…
The Poor Bloody Infantry Faces More Friendly Fire?
In opposition Liam Fox boasted he could cut the Ministry of Defence by 25% without there being any impact on…
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