By this time next week, the security of Western democratic nations may have been irreparably damaged. It is at least a plausible outcome that a US president who openly despises the country’s allies and the policies of his postwar predecessors will have wrecked the transatlantic alliance. I hope this is mere alarmism but the risks are […]
There are good reasons to be worried about the damage that the US President can do to NATO at today’s summit in Brussels. For much of his adult life, Donald Trump has harboured a distinct disdain for the alliance. As early as in 1987, he spoke of America’s “disproportionate” contributions, of which other countries were […]
The South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) is an organisation dedicated to supporting the victims of terrorism in the part of Northern Ireland where I was born and brought up. A few months ago, SEFF brought an exhibition to the mainland which remembers many of Fermanagh’s Troubles victims with a quilt. The quilt tries to do […]
When he makes his first formal visit to the United Kingdom later this week, President Donald Trump will greeted by throngs of angry protesters, as well as a giant balloon of a “Baby Trump” flying over London. Irrespective of his domestic or economic policies, there is one area in which he should be given strong […]
Over the past decade, Britain has experienced it’s political status quo radically change. Reflecting back on 2010, when the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition was ushered into Downing Street, politics seemed vastly more stable than it is today. The country was yet to witness the rise of Scottish nationalism and Euroscepticism. Both issues have left us with […]
With the World Cup in full swing, it’s easy (and maybe even useful) to forget about the tensions engulfing relations between Russia and the West. But however tempting such escapism may be, sporting festivals – even hugely successful ones – can hardly break impasses between governments. The tournament’s joy will fade quickly. The political problems, on the other hand, are […]
In Britain, it seems to take a mass riot on the capital’s streets to get attention from politicians, mayors and the media, but they quickly forget. As temperatures rise, it’s worth remembering that gangs and hot tempers contributed to, and certainly exacerbated, the London riots in the heat of summer 2011. So I applaud Anne […]
From Westminster Bridge to La Rambla in Barcelona and from the Champs-Élysées to Manchester Arena, last year was a bloody and horrible one as Europe suffered at the hands of terrorists. As the war against Islamic State in Syria reaches its endgame and hate preachers encourage homegrown extremists to carry out further attacks, the threat from […]
NATO leaders will soon assemble in Brussels for their summer summit. The fact that they are meeting in the organisation’s brand new £900 million headquarters should not mask the fact that the alliance has faced some serious challenges of late. At a recent Henry Jackson Society workshop, jointly hosted with NATO and the Konrad Adenauer […]
The British Armed Forces have a long and proud history – but the time has now come for major reform so that they are properly able to serve the nation in the modern world. There is no shortage of public comment from the Forces themselves as to the many difficulties they face. The acknowledged problems […]
The case of Billy Caldwell, the 12-year-old boy whose doctors were granted “exceptional” permission to prescribe a cannabis-based medicine, has reignited the long-running debate over the medical uses of the plant in Britain. Amid mounting public pressure, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, announced a review of the medical use of cannabis. Caldwell suffers from a […]
Donald Trump’s transactional approach to business is mirrored in his approach to foreign policy. How else to explain why, last week, he raged against the G7 and embraced North Korea? The President seems bent on alienating America’s traditional allies and emboldening American’s traditional enemies. This is the situation facing NATO as it approaches its summit […]
Last night ITV ran a documentary with the title Prisons uncovered: out of control? By the end of 60 harrowing minutes, it was clear the question mark was redundant. This collapse of order and civility was baked into the system by “criminally stupid” staff cuts mandated by a misapplication of austerity. I use the term advisedly. […]
The new counter-terrorism measures announced by Sajid Javid are sensible and clearly an improvement on what has gone before them. But, as the latest revelations about the failure of most counter-radicalisation schemes make clear, we need much more than tinkering. Yes, more resources and better information-sharing are required. But there is little indication that any […]
Roman Abramovich’s visa issues will set alarm bells ringing for his fellow oligarchs. For years, this group of extraordinary rich politically-connected business owners have jet-setted between Russia and the West. They have enjoyed the fruits of the Western system, while Russia has slowly turned into a grotesque kleptocracy. They don’t want to live in Russia. […]
Official figures show that since 9/11, 695 people in this country have been convicted of terrorism-related offences. The latest Ministry of Justice statistics tell us that 213 extremists are currently in custody. That leaves a substantial number of released offenders back in our communities. We should be very bothered about how they are doing. We […]
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