Starmer’s pledge card is raising the white flag to Putin
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Sir Keir Starmer’s six election pledges include nothing about the defence of the nation, not even low down the list. It is a staggering omission. With Labour so far in the lead in the polls, and unlikely to be caught by any party, this is either a policy of supreme arrogance or supreme stupidity – or perhaps both.
The threats to this country are the greatest they have been probably since 1939; sadly, we have no Winston Churchill – or anybody who could remotely hold a flame to him – in the wings, to grab victory from this potential devastating threat. The reason we are in this position is that successive governments since the end of the Cold War have let defence decline to a position where it is no longer a real deterrent. At the same time, President Putin has been building up his military and has been telling us all, in very plain language that he is heading west.
When Putin looks at Labour’s six pledges, he is going to be further emboldened. Nobody who studies him and understands the conflict in Ukraine, believes the Russian autocrat will stop if he prevails there. Next, Putin knows all too well Europe has weak points in Slovakia and Hungary to enable him to push right into the heart of the continent. Labour may well set up “Great British Energy”, crack down on anti-social behaviour and recruit 6500 more teachers. But what good is all that, if we are once again fighting a tyrant in the fields and villages of Europe?
Putin respects strength and exploits weakness. The Labour pledges, and the absence of defence among them, almost seem to be encouraging him to crack on. I am disappointed. I thought Labour now offered a genuine alternative to the Tories. Change after 14 years is probably something this country needs, but not at the expense of leading this nation into battle again.
The way to avoid war in Europe is to prepare for it, by build-up our defence capability to a position where it is once again a genuine conventional deterrence. The Tory pledge to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP is woefully inadequate and not even matched by Labour.
3 per cent is getting nearer the mark but this money needs to be committed now to have the right deterrence effect to make the Russians think again. Do whatever is necessary to get the cash, but let’s not waste money on hair-brained schemes which might appease the loony Left and Right; we need a mass of military hardware and commitment to stop Putin in his tracks and make him think again.
I cannot vote for anyone who does not put the defence of our nation at the heart of their election offering. Nobody who loves this country, from whatever political persuasion, can do otherwise.
With Labour seemingly giving up on national defence, we need a party or parties who are going to vow to prevent yet another dreadful war across Europe.
Labour have made it clear they are not the ones.
