Latest news with #GeneralLordDannatt
Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Times
Times letters: Getting Britain into battle-ready shape
Sir, Many people will agree with General Lord Dannatt when he proposes that taxes be increased to pay for the full implementation of the strategic defence review (letter, Jun 3), but how confident can we be that any additional tax revenues would be ringfenced for defence and not dissipated on other Labour Party priorities such as social security spending and political investments in the red wall? One can only hope that government rhetoric about national security is not being used as a tactical smokescreen to justify additional taxation destined to cover shortfalls in other departmental budgets, with only a token increase in defence spending. After his victory in the general election Sir Keir Starmer undertook to make the tough calls and promised action, not words. It is time to see that action and the rapid implementation of the defence review's recommendations in this parliament. Dr David Ryan Bournemouth
Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Times
Sunday Times letters: How could a new home guard protect us?
letters@ Your article discussed proposals for some kind of voluntary organisation to protect the UK from terror attacks in the apparent 'pre-war' situation we may be in (news, May 18). To quote Corporal Jones: 'Don't panic!' The 'home guard' is to be reformed. But what should it be, and to do what? Rishi Sunak surprised the electorate early in the last general election campaign with an ill-thought- through National Service idea. At first sight, this 'home guard' smacks of the same. But it possibly does have merit, provided it is organised, trained and equipped in a sensible manner. Boy Scouts carry staves; soldiers carry guns. To deter terrorists, these volunteers need guns — so they must be soldiers. They should be organised along existing regimental structures, as part of the army reserve, to give them identity and esprit de corps. Their tasks need to be appropriate to their equipment and training and then — and only then — can they make a useful contribution to our national security. General Lord DannattChief of the General Staff, 2006-09; House of Lords Sir Keir Starmer continues to emphasise how out of touch with reality he is with his bonkers idea of a home guard. Those of us with genuine military experience can only laugh at this. He cannot even stop people arriving in boats travelling at only a few knots. The greatest threat to the UK this century has been its own government, with its spurious involvement in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Afghanistan. This is another attempt at distraction from the growing NHS waiting lists and other real problems facing Britain today. Little wonder voters are increasingly turning to Diprose Thame, OxonThere have been other post-war revivals of the home guard. Fear of Soviet interference led to proposals in 1952 for the War Office to mobilise 170,000 former service personnel. Shifting strategies and low volunteer numbers led to this being shelved, but the idea cropped up again with the formation of the Home Service Force in 1982. Like this new proposed force, its role was to guard key points — it was assembled from former Royal Navy, Army and RAF regulars and reservists and placed under Territorial Army command. It was stood down in 1992 due to budget cuts and the end of the Cold War. Nick van der BijlCockermouth, CumbriaIn the late 1930s Britain's military was pathetically small, ill-equipped and desperate. So they created Dad's Army. Now, as always, history repeats itself, not as tragedy but as farce. The government's strategic defence review will propose a new home guard to protect power stations and airports against enemy action and terrorists. Will Captain Mainwaring and his wrinklies be a match for Putin's secret agents? We might stand a better chance with Mum's LynnCo-writer, Yes Minister; New YorkMy father was in the home guard and I now regret handing in his .303 Lee-Enfield rifle together with tin hat and gas mask a few years ago during a government truce. It would have been just the ticket for shooting down the laser-guided drones we will face during the next conflict. As Private Frazer would have said: We're all Henry Good Easter, Essex Renationalisation of the railways does indeed, as Oliver Gill points out, give rise to 'hurdles on the line' (business, May 18). The government emphasises the advantages of bringing train operations under a single command-and-control model, to be run by Great British Railways (GBR), but the real question is: who runs GBR? Who will decide as part of this 'complete cultural reset', as the transport secretary calls it, what outputs (timetable) the country can afford? Not GBR. Who will decide the prices to be paid? Not GBR. The old proverb rings true: he who pays the piper calls the tune, and so the command-and-control centre will not be in Derby, the HQ of GBR, it will be in Whitehall. There is a serious risk that an unaccountable state-owned monopoly will use its power to entrench that monopoly and do what monopolists have every incentive to do: reduce output, raise prices and exclude competition. GBR risks becoming an agent of government, doing what it is told on all the key issues — not a bright future for Swift KCRail regulator, 1993-98 I agree with Sally Money regarding reckless riders (letters, May 11 & 18). I was hit by an e-scooter jumping a red light, leaving me with a broken elbow that needed surgery and weeks of physio. I welcome new legislation whereby bicycle or scooter riders who injure or kill a pedestrian would incur a prison sentence, but until these vehicles carry licence plates by which they can be identified, this surely creates an incentive for riders to leave the scene confident that they are unlikely to be identified. Our streets have turned into dangerous places and something needs to be Stafford-DeitschLondon W8 A 13,000 drop in the number of private school pupils (news, May 18) isn't merely a statistic, it's an educational earthquake, with aftershocks being felt in both the state and independent sectors. Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, accused schools of 'crying wolf' over the impact of paying VAT last month. Well it turns out that the wolf was real — and it's now at the door of both MurfinDeputy head teacher; Oxshott, Surrey It looks as though Sir Jim Ratcliffe has added a new wrinkle to the old adage on how to make a small fortune: start with a large fortune and invest it in Manchester United (Rich List, Magazine, May 18).David RickardCardiff Matthew Syed says that Israel's campaign in Gaza is exactly what Hamas wants (comment, May 18). He is correct. In September last year I visited Gaza and saw the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) fighting in an extraordinarily complex environment, targeting Hamas as professionally as they could. However, Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, and senior military leaders whom I met said that as Hamas casualties mounted the IDF were nearing the end of what could be achieved through military means. Gallant was right, but was later sacked, and the campaign has continued at an appalling and disproportionate cost. Through the excessive use of force, and by restricting humanitarian aid, Israel has driven young men with nothing to live for into the arms of Hamas. Both from a moral and military perspective the strategy is fundamentally flawed. The country's leaders are committing future generations, on both sides, to a bloody urban insurgency that will continue for decades. The Israeli strategy must change. General (ret'd) Sir John McCollSalisbury Alan Davies (letter, May 18) paints the sycamore as a weed, introduced to Britain only in the 16th century. Well so was the potato, without which we would have starved in both world Gray Loughborough, Leics I do so agree with Rod Liddle about the revolting and unnecessary advertising showing what sanitary pads and toilet rolls are for ('Commercial breaks filled with bodily functions, another blessing from our incontinent culture', comment, May 18). Are men and women so ignorant these days that they don't know how to wipe their bottoms? Perhaps they'll show us that next. I despair at the lack of decorum and good taste and would avoid using these products that advertise in such a way, on Berry GodstoneSurrey Sir John Major's article on prisons was a fantastic read (news, May 18). His point that 'we cannot continue to focus solely on punishment; we need to focus equally on rehabilitation' is right, and does not only apply to our jail system but also to the young children in our schools. Some pupils are regularly sentenced to hours in an isolation unit. Such incarceration is supposedly to enable the child to 'reflect' on a particular behaviour, but unless there is a sympathetic, qualified adult to listen, offer time and support and explore the reasons causing the unacceptable behaviour, then guess what: the child goes on to reoffend and this downward spiral stunts every part of that child's growth. School is not an adult military academy. If we continue with such high levels of punishment with our children we are doomed to MurdochRet'd teacher; Ilminster, Somerset Harry Wallop's report is wrong to suggest the public is convinced Tesco will always deliver ('The poultry predicament shows self-sufficient Britain is plucked', News Review, May 18). People I speak to are very concerned about the future of farming. Those of us who live near fields full of ripening crops bearing signs proclaiming the arrival of 'a new development of luxury houses' are in despair over the welfare of those who feed us. The perilous state of the world compounds the anxiety. Self-sufficiency couldn't be more vital. It isn't the public who think that farmers are all wealthy and that food can be imported; it is those in parliament. I have tried to make this point to my MP but didn't receive a reply. Stephanie BarnesExeter I chuckled at Rod Liddle's trepidation at meeting the urologist Mr Nicholas Burns-Cox (comment, May 18). During my prostate cancer 'battle' I was ably overseen by the delightfully monikered Mrs Mistry-Pain. David KeebleStone, Staffs letters@
Russia Today
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump proclaims US WWII Victory Day
President Donald Trump has officially proclaimed May 8 as a national day to celebrate victory in World War II, emphasizing the United States' contribution as decisive – while completely ignoring the Soviet Union's role and sacrifice in defeating Nazi Germany. In his proclamation issued by the White House on Wednesday, Trump claimed that 'without the sacrifice of our American soldiers, this war would not have been won, and our world today would look drastically different.' 'On this Victory Day for World War II, we celebrate the unmatched might, strength, and power of the American Armed Forces, and we commit to protecting our sacred birthright of liberty against all threats, foreign and domestic,' the US president wrote, emphasizing that 'more than 250,000 Americans lost their lives' fighting for the 'survival of Western civilization.' Trump previously announced plans to designate November 11 as 'Victory Day for World War I,' a move that would effectively rename Veterans Day – a federal holiday honoring all US military veterans. The White House later clarified that such declarations would not create new public holidays without congressional approval. Trump's push to 'start celebrating our victories again' has drawn criticism from Russia and even some Allied nations, who accused him of distorting historical facts. General Lord Dannatt, former chief of the General Staff in the UK – which lost about 450,700 people in the war – called Trump's remarks 'extraordinary' and accused him of 'rewriting history.' Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of his country's Security Council, dismissed the remarks as 'pretentious nonsense.' 'Our people gave 27 million lives of their sons and daughters for the sake of destroying damned fascism,' he wrote. 'Victory Day is ours and it is on May 9. That's how it was, is, and always will be!' Russia is grateful to the US for its support during WWII, but the USSR would have defeated Nazi Germany even without the assistance – though 'it would have been very difficult,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week. The Soviet Union received aid valued at around $200 billion in today's terms through the Lend-Lease program – a US government initiative that provided allies with military supplies, equipment, food, and strategic raw materials. The assistance, however, was not free. Russia, as the USSR's successor state, completed its financial obligations related to the Lend-Lease program only in 2006. Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allied forces on May 8, 1945, following the capture of Berlin by Soviet troops. The capitulation took effect after midnight in Moscow. May 8 is observed as Victory in Europe Day, while Russia commemorates the occasion on May 9.
Russia Today
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Trump proposes national holidays for WWI and WWII victories
US President Donald Trump has announced plans to designate days commemorating America's victory in the First World War and Second World War as national holidays. The proposal, first floated last week, is part of Trump's call to 'start celebrating our victories again,' although Russia dismissed his claim that the US won WWII as 'nonsense.' In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump claimed that America 'won two World Wars, but we never took credit for it,' unlike other Allied nations around the world, which are celebrating 'the Victory we had in World War II.' He went on to reiterate that 'the Victory was only accomplished because of us,' adding that 'without the United States, the War would have been won by other Countries, and what a different World it would be.' Trump stated that he would establish a national holiday 'in celebration of the victories of World War I, marked by the Armistice on November 11, 1918, and World War II, with Victory Day on May 8, 1945.' Last week Trump asserted that the US 'did more than any other country, by far' to win World War II, claiming 'nobody was close to us in strength, bravery, or military brilliance' in either war. Trump's claims that America played the leading role in defeating Nazi Germany sparked controversy. Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of his country's Security Council, dismissed the remarks as 'pretentious nonsense,' emphasizing the Soviet Union's sacrifice of 27 million lives in the war. General Lord Dannatt, former chief of the UK General Staff, called Trump's remarks 'extraordinary' and accused him of 'rewriting history.' Nazi Germany officially surrendered to the Allies on May 8, 1945, after Soviet forces captured Berlin. The surrender took effect after midnight Moscow time. While the US observes May 8 as Victory in Europe Day, Russia commemorates the occasion on May 9. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged Russia's gratitude for US support during World War II but maintained that the Soviet Union would have defeated Nazi Germany without it. He noted that the Lend-Lease program provided valuable aid, such as vehicles, aircraft, ammunition, and tanks, which helped make a difficult task more manageable. The Lend-Lease program was a US initiative that supplied Allied nations with military equipment, food, and raw materials. According to Peskov, the Soviet Union received aid valued at around $200 billion in today's terms. However, the support wasn't free. Russia, as the USSR's successor, only completed repayment in 2006.
