The first duty of any Nation State is to defend their citizens and their democracy that in turn protects their freedoms and liberties. We entrust and empower our elected politicians, in a hope and belief, that they will ensure that UK sovereignty, especially over Defence, is not compromised and our Armed Forces have the necessary capacity and capability that ensures that it is fit for purpose.
When the UK government is challenged, they claim” that having left the EU the UK continues to retain full sovereign control over its Defence, decision –making and the deployment of its Armed Forces and their equipment”. Yet our government has signed up to elements of the new complex EU Defence architecture (eg Pesco, R&D) which now entangle and commit the UK to compliance to EU Defence direction and policy.
The EU's intentions are clear, to usurp the sovereign powers of their European Nation States over Defence and Foreign policy. A former Senior Whitehall MoD Mandarin agrees with the EU's ambition and said “that Defence is no longer a preserve of the Nation State in the EU” and has been rewarded with a Senior position within NATO!
Retired Senior Military and Intelligent Chiefs have said that the UK is “surrendering” its sovereign powers over Defence and Intelligence under the cover of cooperation and integration. The UK continues to follow EU inspired procurement rules for Defence equipment when it could adopt WTO rules that would allow the UK to favour its own Defence suppliers.
To those who believe that UK Defence Matters an informed debate is essential to facilitate the critical scrutiny necessary and to ensure ‘what they say is what they do and what we get’!
“Liberty is not a present; you cannot beg for it; you must earn it.”
(motto attributed to the Union Nationale des Évadés de Guerre, UNEG: the French escape network by the RAF Escape Society).
David Card Editor
David Card is a retired RAF Aircrew Officer,
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