COMMENT Every prime minister, including our current one, has declared that the priority is the defence of the UK. But no one wishes to spend more than is necessary on defence, particularly when managing public confidence during a recession and a flu pandemic.
There is a diversity of threats to plan for: terrorism, nuclear proliferation, the widening stability gap of the developed and developing world (which threatens our energy security and access to resources), and so on. In meeting these threats, we cannot emulate the Americans’ capability. We have to make some pragmatic decisions about our priorities.
