Salisbury Fox

Agreed. There is always going to be many who perceive that their way of life, culture and values are being challenged with such large numbers arriving year on year. In the UK, it was possible to keep a lid on it when we were in the EU for the most part as there was growth to support the case that immigration was a net positive. Now growth across the whole continent is low or nonexistent coupled with existing resources being stretched, it’s a much more challenging argument to win. Those who feel that once the older generation die off views will change are fooling themselves as it’s such an easy message to sell that many younger people believe that there are simple solutions to complex problems.

It would take decades to develop the capabilities that European armies do not posses due to a reliance on NATO. It would also require a significant increase in Defence budgets which is unlikely to be palpable in the short term.

I’m sure he knows full well the problems the world faces, but I assume he’s thinking along the lines of the quote from Denis Healy: “Once we cut defence expenditure to the extent where our security is imperilled, we have no houses, we have no hospitals, we have no schools. We have a heap of cinders”.

Well I suppose that’s ok if you feel that the second and third order effects of this don’t seriously have an adverse affect on things like food security etc. Appears to be ill thought out to me. Looks like there are going to be some protests which could become interesting if they gain enough support: https://www.farminguk.com/news/farmers-across-uk-to-rally-in-london-against-devastating-budget_65568.html. Not sure if it’s true that agricultural equipment is exempt ULEZ

Apparently some have deserted already. I can’t imagine that they will be a game changer in terms of capability but numbers for meat assaults won’t help Ukraine. I can’t imagine we are at the stage of sending troops yet, certainly not for fighting, but sending troops to release Ukrainians in places like the border with Belarus could be a more measured escalation which was proposed by Estonia sometime ago.

I don’t doubt you, but I was responding to the claim that raising living standards so that those living here will have more kids, will see drop in migration. The key with being able to manage migration is getting the balance right between high and low skilled migration. Too many of the latter and there will be problems as the ONS figures highlight. I’m not convinced anyone has had a handle on this for the past 20-30 years.

Even if we had the growth to do the things you seem to think would solve the immigration crisis, migrants will still come. The world’s population is still growing and economic migrants and war/environmental refugees will only increase, to believe otherwise is naive.

I thought it was Lord Alli that was running the country McSweeney seems an open goal if there was a competent opposition given he was fined by the electoral commission for failing to declare donations.

Not really Lilian

Not sure I understand this as there were people trying to cross the channel decades before Brexit. Just looked up that the Sangatte ‘jungle’ camp opened in 1999. All that seems to have changed is the method of entry.

I appreciate that you may be trying to look at this objectively, but my point is that the police officer will have to justify his use of force based upon the threat he felt there was. We could never really understand that threat from a couple of short clips, especially given I don’t believe we know yet why they approached one of the individuals in the first place which is a factor in itself. Other factors to consider will include that the officers were armed (I can’t imagine there are many circumstances that an armed police officer is attacked in training that doesn’t result in an attempt to take the weapon), the speed of the attack, unknown number of assailants (the video shows how many but did the police know at the time given they were being attacked from behind at the start), injuries to fellow officers, what was being said e.g. I’m going to kill you etc.

Technically it doesn’t, but it also doesn’t say you can’t either as it has to be a reasonable use of force in the circumstances. He therefore has to justify his use of force which some seem too eager to condemn or defend him based upon watching a short clip and applying their own biases.

For now.

It seems they are restricted to using them near the Kharkiv region.

You can only negotiate if both sides do so in good faith, but Russia continues to show no signs of doing so: https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-may-26-2024 You are right that that Taiwan is a priority for the US, however the outcome in Ukraine is extremely relevant to deterring action there.

He doesn’t need a cult of personality. You can’t have missed the large numbers who have had mysterious accidents from tall buildings.

According to Lavrov Ukraine is already using western weapons to strike inside Ukraine. Another red line crossed then

Build it and they will come

Perhaps Israel is finally getting Iran back for the Argentina embassy attack in 1992. I do generally agree though that this sort of action should be avoided but I won’t be shedding any tears for those involved in terror attacks.

It wouldn’t, most European armed forces have based their capabilities upon heavy US support. For example our own air defence capability has been reduced on the basis that we would have air superiority provided predominantly by the US. It would take many years to grow these capabilities.

I hope so, but pressures in the Pacific may see the US pivot naturally meaning Europe needs to build a credible defence for themselves.

Apologies, I wasn’t going to respond again but any failure to respond to an attack on a NATO member, even a small one like Estonia, would result in the end of the organisation. I do share your the scepticism about a Trump administration wanting to though.

So we shouldn’t poke the bear for risk of them going nuclear in Ukraine, but there’s no concern over Russia having any further territorial ambitions as we have nukes. I think you are underestimating the mindset and the hybrid nature of warfare being employed, but I will leave it there as I can see we are going to disagree.

Our Army like most other European armies have been underfunded true, however I don’t see why you feel Estonia pointing out the need to prepare for war is anymore unnecessary than the numerous others who are saying the same thing across the whole continent. The fact that we have a lack of Artillery shells for Ukraine alone should reinforce the urgency.