@dwn84.bsky.social
They need 27 bil just to cover the black hole and avoid cuts... Imagine the optics internationally and in the country. If talking the kind of talk he did yesterday and allowed significant cuts.
February 17, 2026 at 9:55 PM
They need 27 bil just to cover the black hole and avoid cuts... Imagine the optics internationally and in the country. If talking the kind of talk he did yesterday and allowed significant cuts.
Needs to do something on defence urgently. I know this will put the state ahead of party but the current slow rate of increase isn't sustainable with the political rhetoric, & what the government is expecting the services to do. We're either at the most dangerous point in recent times or we're not
February 17, 2026 at 9:50 PM
Needs to do something on defence urgently. I know this will put the state ahead of party but the current slow rate of increase isn't sustainable with the political rhetoric, & what the government is expecting the services to do. We're either at the most dangerous point in recent times or we're not
Probably passing by Gibraltar next Monday assuming 20knots average speed.
February 17, 2026 at 9:46 PM
Probably passing by Gibraltar next Monday assuming 20knots average speed.
31 is one of the few bright spots of defence these days. Babcock need to be rewarded for their investment though.
February 17, 2026 at 9:17 AM
31 is one of the few bright spots of defence these days. Babcock need to be rewarded for their investment though.
Slowly and dimly it's looking like people in number 10 are starting to get it.... UK government considering increase in defence spending - BBC News share.google/wzOUIbdrxoZP...
UK government considering increase in defence spending
The prime minister is considering meeting a 3% defence-spending target five years earlier than planned, the BBC learns.
share.google
February 16, 2026 at 7:34 AM
Slowly and dimly it's looking like people in number 10 are starting to get it.... UK government considering increase in defence spending - BBC News share.google/wzOUIbdrxoZP...
Well someone needs to explain to me why all the winter Olympics sports are predominantly snow and ice related and not wind and rain. If it was wind and rain we'd dominate. 🤔
February 15, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Well someone needs to explain to me why all the winter Olympics sports are predominantly snow and ice related and not wind and rain. If it was wind and rain we'd dominate. 🤔
Who the hell calls it a tin..... It's a can surely?
February 15, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Who the hell calls it a tin..... It's a can surely?
All be it with the luxury of not having to making the difficult decisions. Labour are talking a good talk but if you follow defence blogs they're not walking the walk
February 15, 2026 at 6:15 PM
All be it with the luxury of not having to making the difficult decisions. Labour are talking a good talk but if you follow defence blogs they're not walking the walk
Needs to get serious on defence for me... Given him the benefit of doubt so far, but I'm hearing too many in going politically motivated cuts and horrid rumours knocking around re the navy.... But bizarrely and quite shockingly lib Dems seems to be talking a better game on defence.
February 15, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Needs to get serious on defence for me... Given him the benefit of doubt so far, but I'm hearing too many in going politically motivated cuts and horrid rumours knocking around re the navy.... But bizarrely and quite shockingly lib Dems seems to be talking a better game on defence.
I listened to the prime minister with interest. But it's always vague statements. We need to see the defence investment plan soon or it's just words.... At the moment it's holding up GCAP. I don't think despite his he's not doing what's needed re defence.
February 15, 2026 at 8:40 AM
I listened to the prime minister with interest. But it's always vague statements. We need to see the defence investment plan soon or it's just words.... At the moment it's holding up GCAP. I don't think despite his he's not doing what's needed re defence.
It's just not going to happen for decades at least, the sooner people get their heads around this and start building a new future and a new relationship the better it'll be.
February 14, 2026 at 5:51 PM
It's just not going to happen for decades at least, the sooner people get their heads around this and start building a new future and a new relationship the better it'll be.
Therefore you can sleep well at night knowing that it might well be the case that without UK leadership and intervention Russia might not have suffered a million casualties🤷
February 14, 2026 at 4:27 PM
Therefore you can sleep well at night knowing that it might well be the case that without UK leadership and intervention Russia might not have suffered a million casualties🤷
wouldn't be too far fetched to argue that without that aid and leadership while Germany was preventing UK flights from crossing their territory Ukraine may have collapsed in the early stages of the war..
February 14, 2026 at 4:26 PM
wouldn't be too far fetched to argue that without that aid and leadership while Germany was preventing UK flights from crossing their territory Ukraine may have collapsed in the early stages of the war..
Look at it this way, an I say this with my teeth grited because it means giving credit to Boris. The UK was pouring weapons into Ukraine for a month before the current conflict started while the vast majority of Europe was trying not to escalate it....
February 14, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Look at it this way, an I say this with my teeth grited because it means giving credit to Boris. The UK was pouring weapons into Ukraine for a month before the current conflict started while the vast majority of Europe was trying not to escalate it....
You don't think they're attacking russian daily and doing all sorts of stuff that they don't make public?
February 14, 2026 at 4:05 PM
You don't think they're attacking russian daily and doing all sorts of stuff that they don't make public?
Like Scottish MPs seeing Starmer as their leader, the Scottish people see Westminster politics as more informative about how they place their vote meaning the SNP will get elected by default.
February 10, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Like Scottish MPs seeing Starmer as their leader, the Scottish people see Westminster politics as more informative about how they place their vote meaning the SNP will get elected by default.
Man the Scottish parliament is a waste of time. Consider before the general election SNP getting buried in the polls. Having been in power in Scotland for decades. Then Starmer get in to power and tanks labour polls UK wide, meaning the SNP despite them being hopeless get poll boost.
February 10, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Man the Scottish parliament is a waste of time. Consider before the general election SNP getting buried in the polls. Having been in power in Scotland for decades. Then Starmer get in to power and tanks labour polls UK wide, meaning the SNP despite them being hopeless get poll boost.
Hard to get a broad church cabinet when you involve absolutist activist politicians. The moment a collective decision is made they don't agree with, resignations swiftly follow when said cabinet members are asked by media to justify positions they don't agree with.
February 10, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Hard to get a broad church cabinet when you involve absolutist activist politicians. The moment a collective decision is made they don't agree with, resignations swiftly follow when said cabinet members are asked by media to justify positions they don't agree with.
Shows you the utter waste of time that is the Scottish parliament if you ask me. after years of incompetence from the nationalists and them being rightly laid low in the polls , it's all undone by Labours reputation in Westminster rightly or wrongly Scots don't actually give a craps about holyrood.
February 10, 2026 at 3:28 PM
Shows you the utter waste of time that is the Scottish parliament if you ask me. after years of incompetence from the nationalists and them being rightly laid low in the polls , it's all undone by Labours reputation in Westminster rightly or wrongly Scots don't actually give a craps about holyrood.
I sure hope so, unless it's a generational defeat for MAGA, no one will be convinced MAGA is just a passing fever. If MAGA republicans hold their ground then Americans insanity will be a permanent fixture.
February 9, 2026 at 9:04 PM
I sure hope so, unless it's a generational defeat for MAGA, no one will be convinced MAGA is just a passing fever. If MAGA republicans hold their ground then Americans insanity will be a permanent fixture.
Don't like the cut of his gib.... When he went to Davos he was obnoxious as Trump with a fair amount of self righteousness.l preaching re Trump. That being said, it'd be hard not to be an improvement over the current regime.
February 9, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Don't like the cut of his gib.... When he went to Davos he was obnoxious as Trump with a fair amount of self righteousness.l preaching re Trump. That being said, it'd be hard not to be an improvement over the current regime.
Yeah.... Hard slog now for champions league football, given our fixture FFS.
February 8, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Yeah.... Hard slog now for champions league football, given our fixture FFS.
Hope you don't mind me coming back to this, I was listening to this and was reminded if this conversation the UK defence stuff is about half way through, absolute awfully horrid outlook for UK defence and actually quite frightening. Wondered what your perspective might be.
youtu.be/FioAuhgvc6Q?...
youtu.be/FioAuhgvc6Q?...
Assassination of Putin’s top general is a ‘psychological blow’ for Russian military | Robert Fox
YouTube video by The Trump Report
youtu.be
February 7, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Hope you don't mind me coming back to this, I was listening to this and was reminded if this conversation the UK defence stuff is about half way through, absolute awfully horrid outlook for UK defence and actually quite frightening. Wondered what your perspective might be.
youtu.be/FioAuhgvc6Q?...
youtu.be/FioAuhgvc6Q?...
To be fair most naval procurements don't exist before you build them. It'd be the same if it was off the shelf french subs. Granted though a lot of investment required to build and maintain nuclear subs. It's like the birth of an entire new industry.
February 4, 2026 at 9:42 PM
To be fair most naval procurements don't exist before you build them. It'd be the same if it was off the shelf french subs. Granted though a lot of investment required to build and maintain nuclear subs. It's like the birth of an entire new industry.
And in five years time if Europe hasn't made it self unassailable then I'd be asking the question do we deserve to be rescued.
February 3, 2026 at 8:30 PM
And in five years time if Europe hasn't made it self unassailable then I'd be asking the question do we deserve to be rescued.