Churchill was the leader that Britain needed at the time – could Boris be the same? July 25, 2019 The new Prime Minister had never been short of confidence about his own abilities. On the day of his ascension to the highest office in the land, he wrote “I felt as though I were walking with destiny and that all my past life had been a preparation for this hour and for this trial”. [...]
Let Apollo 11 be an inspiration, mankind can achieve the impossible July 17, 2019 Fifty years ago this week, in one of the seminal moments in the history of humanity, man landed on the moon for the first time. As hundreds of millions watched with bated breath, hoping against hope that nothing would derail this most extraordinary of missions, Neil Armstrong set foot on the lunar surface and immortalised [...]
We need a man in Washington who can walk the Trump tightrope July 10, 2019 Diplomats are a curious bunch. Usually to be found currying favour by whispering quietly in foreign capitals, their role is largely an unseen one, providing information back home, and intervening subtly to promote their nation’s interests. So when a diplomat becomes the news story, as opposed to providing commentary on a news story, it is [...]
Iran cannot be allowed to win this game of nuclear blackmail July 3, 2019 Nuclear proliferation is often cited by world leaders as one of the greatest threats to our planet’s continued survival. Short of a cataclysmic environmental disaster, it is difficult to conceptualise an event that could cause more damage to global prospects than the detonation of a nuclear device. Yet despite the general abhorrence, this has neither [...]
Istanbul has rekindled Turkey’s fight against religious autocracy June 26, 2019 Istanbul is one of the most famous cities in the world, on account of a storied history encompassing myriad great events. As Byzantium, it was first the fortress of the eastern Roman Empire and then the bastion of Orthodox Christianity. After its fall to the Turks in 1453, the newly-minted Constantinople became the capital of [...]
If Hong Kong can face down the Chinese bullies, there is hope for the rest of the world June 21, 2019 Every child is taught that the best way to deal with bullies is to stand up to them, rather than to allow them to indulge in their destructive behaviour. While there is of course a risk of a punishment beating, more often it turns out that the bully has adopted aggressive tactics to mask their [...]
These are the four criteria for judging the next Tory leader June 12, 2019 And then here were ten. Nominations closed for the leadership of the Conservative Party on Monday. What had appeared to be turning into a grand melee – where it appeared easier to identify which Tory MPs were not running rather than were, so prolific was the announcement of candidatures – instead became a manageable scrum. [...]
We must not forget the value of the US special relationship June 7, 2019 75 years ago, Allied forces mounted Operation Overlord. The largest military operation ever attempted began the process of freeing the European continent from the jackboot of Nazi tyranny. So familiar are we with the general story of D-Day that it is easy to forget some of the extraordinary details. By June 1944, more than two [...]
As the Chinese ambassador questions the delay, would cancelling Hinkley severely damage UK-China economic ties? August 9, 2016 Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society, says Yes. The UK-China relationship will be hurt by the decision to delay and potentially halt Hinkley Point. The “Golden Era” of bilateral relations will suffer a setback, as China will perceive this decision as a loss of face. But while our short-term economic relationship will take [...]
