The UK looks as if it is in a ‘1930s’ situation – enemies at the gate – trying to keep the peace. Gutless appeasement – insufficient support for Ukraine – imagine it was London not Kiev, minus 18 centigrade, no heating, next to no electricity and water.
We need to urgently rearm. We need to be able to defend our island state, play our part in European defence, and to some extent look further afield.
I suggest the UK needs to find an additional 5% of GDP, now, to invest in defence. That money needs to be well spent, all projects to have short timescale delivery, standardised equipment from established suppliers.
Finding 5% will be difficult. Most people – the electorate – have seen, at the least, no growth in incomes for a decade. That is why they are disenchanted with the traditional political parties. They are inclined to protest vote, extreme left or right, anybody who offers hope.
So this money cannot come out of peoples pockets, in terms of tax or whatever. Business cannot stand more taxes. Hitting the ultra wealthy generates little net revenue, some avoid it, some slacken off, some leave.
We cannot borrow. We spent too much on Covid, we should have protected the vulnerable rather than borrowing to subsidise people’s pay… you reap as you sow, now there’s no money to fix the roof or anything else.
Over two or three years we can save some money – freeze pensions, freeze all benefits and restrict grounds for claims and renewals (we have been paying universal credit to people in prison hospitals for example). Apparently there are 5,000 people in the Cabinet Office, that could be halved. Reduce the number of senior ranks in the police. Have less managers than beds in the NHS. Have less Admirals than ships in the Royal Navy.
However you need things with immediate impact to save money.
Abandon all ‘net zero’ costs. Pend the green agenda.
We are building offshore windfarms with insufficient grid capacity to receive the electric on windy days. Stop electric car subsidies.
Maximise oil and gas from the north sea and elsewhere – and frack (just do it).
Stop all government spending on capital – HS2 for example.
Stop all ‘diversity’ spend. Stop all government consultancy expenditure. Stop most training costs, and all conference and taxi costs for example.
Probably stop overseas aid for a while. Stop funding research other than in maths and sciences.
Basically all public sector areas need to save around 10% of their spend.
Everyone will say it is too difficult – do we really need to do it now? Pray God it’s not needed, but the price we pay if not prepared is horrific. Probably a million UK dead soldiers somewhere……..
And being equipped to fight is a great deterrent towards bullies……..
The other material question is as to who could lead us? Starmer is a Neville Chamberlain (rabbit in the headlights).
Frightenly Nigel Farrage and ‘Boris’ spring to mind. If we can employ a foreign national team football manager, why not ask Obama for help? The best onshore option would probably be David Cameron?
We need to act, and as they say, act now…..
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