As Trump’s victory has thrown the UK’s foreign policy into crisis, I thought it was a good moment to interview Tom Baldwin – Keir Starmer’s biographer, former aide to Ed Miliband, and all-round Labour insider.
The more I think about this the more depressed and angry I am getting.
Europe instead of accepting the new reality seems to be hoping they can survive the next 4 years at the expense of Ukraine and hoping it will all go back to normal after that. It won't!!
Europe needs to get serious about collective defence and security, it is also a gigantic opportunitiy for Labour to get concessions from Europe on trade and the economy by offering our superior security architecture to Europe as a trade-off. It just requires Starmers Labour to have the imagination to see the opportunity and pursue them.
What Europe needs to do now is act as if America will not come to their rescue ever again and start building up the required defence Industrial base to protect themselves, the German Debt Brake needs to go, the European Wide debt rules need to be dumped or at least massively changed. If they had the courage to do so, which they don't, this should be signal for Europe and the UK to send troops to fight side by side with Ukrainian soldiers on the front line. In short, it is time for Europe to accept that the world is a hell of a lot more dangerous and it needs to be prepared to defend itself.
But Western troops in Ukraine would be insaneity and is only doubtfully possible. That's the trouble with living in a mega-bankrupt country like Britain.
100% backing Ukraine, without any "Buts..." I could not give any public comments about TFG.
BUT - we are where we are, and have to be careful not to prejudge the resistance from a large section of the American public. That it was NOT a vast majority is a matter of shame on them.
There IS a good chance, there were enough supporters of Hamas, either stayed home or shot themselves in the head to prove their point. Netanyahu is appalling, and now hostage to even worst - but he can/will be replaced. And the Putin/Iran/Hezbollah etc axis is 100 times worst, and no votes will ever affect their Death Cult. Which they will, like the big man, lie about to fool us. As they have done so many.
My concern is that Starmer is by instinct an incrementalist. Nothing wrong with that ordinarily. But these are quantum times. Does he have the imagination? Because that’s the only thing that can defeat a third rate KGB operative like Putin.
Third rate, he may be - but is defying gravity. Tragically, TFG over the pond may give him the only life-line that could save him. I hope the Europeans will realise matters are THAT desperate.
A modest pensioner, who could find 2p on my income tax cheerfully.
So instead of hearing the wake up call loud and clear followed by getting serious about European Defence, building up an up to standard 21st century European Defence Industrial Base and understanding the world has changed, it seems that the plan is to hope flattery of an egomaniac will get them through the next 4 years and they can just treat this is a blip before it all goes back to normal
Honestly, its almost at a point now where Europe deserves to get invaded, if only to finally wake you up
Our national misfortune seems to lie in having a Prime Minister without an ounce of political know-how. Where's Machiavelli when you need him ? I don't want a government that disappears up Trump's arse. As for Mandelson, he'll just do the old Blair thing of grovelling to the US. Dismal !
Ukraine is the tipping point for the balance of world power. Europe is facing Russian domination and the US is facing eclipse. Once it happens, no way back.
The right are gleefully suggesting that the way forward for the U.K. is to joyfully fellate the playground bully, to leave those silly Europeans to take the punishment they fully deserve. This is a bad idea, but it seems likely Labour will give it a shot, although it’s unlikely to win the privileged access for U.K. goods that they hope for. Still, what’s a state visit between friends?
I wonder if there is anything the UK govt would take a stand on. There are a lot of things Trump (or Musk) might like it to do.
There's very little any British government can do, one way or the other.
The more I think about this the more depressed and angry I am getting.
Europe instead of accepting the new reality seems to be hoping they can survive the next 4 years at the expense of Ukraine and hoping it will all go back to normal after that. It won't!!
Europe needs to get serious about collective defence and security, it is also a gigantic opportunitiy for Labour to get concessions from Europe on trade and the economy by offering our superior security architecture to Europe as a trade-off. It just requires Starmers Labour to have the imagination to see the opportunity and pursue them.
What Europe needs to do now is act as if America will not come to their rescue ever again and start building up the required defence Industrial base to protect themselves, the German Debt Brake needs to go, the European Wide debt rules need to be dumped or at least massively changed. If they had the courage to do so, which they don't, this should be signal for Europe and the UK to send troops to fight side by side with Ukrainian soldiers on the front line. In short, it is time for Europe to accept that the world is a hell of a lot more dangerous and it needs to be prepared to defend itself.
Some of what you say is correct,
But Western troops in Ukraine would be insaneity and is only doubtfully possible. That's the trouble with living in a mega-bankrupt country like Britain.
100% backing Ukraine, without any "Buts..." I could not give any public comments about TFG.
BUT - we are where we are, and have to be careful not to prejudge the resistance from a large section of the American public. That it was NOT a vast majority is a matter of shame on them.
There IS a good chance, there were enough supporters of Hamas, either stayed home or shot themselves in the head to prove their point. Netanyahu is appalling, and now hostage to even worst - but he can/will be replaced. And the Putin/Iran/Hezbollah etc axis is 100 times worst, and no votes will ever affect their Death Cult. Which they will, like the big man, lie about to fool us. As they have done so many.
My concern is that Starmer is by instinct an incrementalist. Nothing wrong with that ordinarily. But these are quantum times. Does he have the imagination? Because that’s the only thing that can defeat a third rate KGB operative like Putin.
Third rate, he may be - but is defying gravity. Tragically, TFG over the pond may give him the only life-line that could save him. I hope the Europeans will realise matters are THAT desperate.
A modest pensioner, who could find 2p on my income tax cheerfully.
What is ‘Western Babylon’ ?
Who runs a powerful and historic country called Russia.
Which hasn't sold out to the western Babylon.
Thus isn't a multicultural corpse like Britain.
He does not seem to have the imagination nor the understanding of the urgency required.
So instead of hearing the wake up call loud and clear followed by getting serious about European Defence, building up an up to standard 21st century European Defence Industrial Base and understanding the world has changed, it seems that the plan is to hope flattery of an egomaniac will get them through the next 4 years and they can just treat this is a blip before it all goes back to normal
Honestly, its almost at a point now where Europe deserves to get invaded, if only to finally wake you up
Tyranny? What do Americans know of tyranny...?
Comments? Putin's cyber-troops are everywhere...
Smooching Labour's enthusiastic circular firing squad - before they had taken over, let alone had a chance. Thanks guys...
Our national misfortune seems to lie in having a Prime Minister without an ounce of political know-how. Where's Machiavelli when you need him ? I don't want a government that disappears up Trump's arse. As for Mandelson, he'll just do the old Blair thing of grovelling to the US. Dismal !
Ukraine had security guarantees under the Budapest memorandum, much good it did them.
It is in Trump's interests to give Ukraine a respectable peace deal, rather than a terrible one.
An ideal peace deal must await the fall of Russia's military-industrial complex, not just of Putin.
Ukraine's best option is being an eastern Finland, given that the Kremlin is both paranoid about the West and largely justified in being so.
Ukraine is the tipping point for the balance of world power. Europe is facing Russian domination and the US is facing eclipse. Once it happens, no way back.
Whoever is sitting in the White House, the West is late-Roman, heading for collapse.
The tipping point for the balnce of world power is Britain - will it survive or be swallowed up by Islam ? It's not looking good at present.
The right are gleefully suggesting that the way forward for the U.K. is to joyfully fellate the playground bully, to leave those silly Europeans to take the punishment they fully deserve. This is a bad idea, but it seems likely Labour will give it a shot, although it’s unlikely to win the privileged access for U.K. goods that they hope for. Still, what’s a state visit between friends?
That Britain is kaput, isn't Trump's fault, let alone Putin's.