Pure ignorance or wilful damage control? Lt Gen Anna-Lee Reilly telling the Public Accounts Committee that 33 soldiers getting ill — vomiting, shaking, headaches — on Ajax during Exercise Titan Storm was simply because troops “didn’t operate or maintain it properly” is disgraceful. This is the same Ajax programme that’s eight years late, billions over budget, repeatedly paused for excessive noise and whole-body vibration causing crew harm since at least 2018. Initial Operating Capability was declared in November 2025, only for training to be halted weeks later after soldiers fell ill. Another pause hit in December 2025. IOC was formally withdrawn in early 2026. Multiple safety investigations are still ongoing. Yet here’s a senior officer claiming “no safety concerns when operated as designed and within specs.” If the specs are so fragile that real cross-country runs, changing track tension, and actual armoured exercises break them — forcing constant stops and checks — then the vehicle is unfit for purpose, not the soldiers. The Army doesn’t need officials gaslighting the troops who’ve risked their health for over a decade of procurement failure. It needs vehicles that actually work in combat conditions, not excuses that protect the programme and contractor. This isn’t leadership. It’s embarrassing. @afneil @Osinttechnical #AjaxSaga #ArmyProcurementFail

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For every retweet of this post, I will donate £1 to the @VC_and_GC_Assoc up to £50,000. Time is running out following @I_W_M’s decision to close the Lord Ashcroft Gallery. Visit while you still can, to honour the bravery of those who risked so much to protect our great nation.

As the sun rose over Dunkirk, I called the French police. Ten hours of tracking had established that a group of migrants were hiding in a cemetery just yards from the beach, waiting to cross the Channel. Surely this was the moment for the authorities to sweep the beach or search the streets to find the migrants and their smugglers? You know, to “smash the gang” I had found. “I will pass it on,” came the first response. I pressed - this was urgent. “The police will probably not come,” the 112 handler said, dismissively. No further details sought. No interest shown. I’d come to northern France to see for myself what is really happening as Channel crossings surge and communities back home bear the intolerable consequences of broken borders. Just me and a cameraman - no French minders, no protection. What I saw in the camps, streets, and beaches was sickening. The reality is worse than I have ever seen. The whole racket is a disgrace, and the French are aiding and abetting it. Take the camp near Loon-Plage: half a mile from tidy villages sits a lawless, dangerous space. Someone was shot dead there last month; stabbings are common. It is strewn with litter, ramshackle tents, and menace. Almost all the migrants are young men. They sit on the ground, scrolling their smartphones, waiting. No police. No officials. Those willing to speak were clear: they are coming to the UK for jobs, housing, benefits, and free healthcare. None said they were fleeing persecution - they are already in France. None had a trade or profession to offer. They will be a huge strain on already struggling UK public services. Some were polite; others threatened violence. One man pressed his face close, telling me to leave. Another began hurling glass bottles - one smashing beside me, another flying past my head. Do you want men like this in your community? I don’t. For saying this, I’ve been called a “xenophobe” on the BBC. But I doubt those levelling that smear have been to this camp, seen those men, and imagined them outside their children’s school gates. This is a national security emergency. And the French? We’ve given them £800m and get dismal theatre in return. They could stop this tomorrow. Instead, they stick two fingers up at Britain - and literally bus illegal migrants towards the beaches. That afternoon, I saw 40–50 migrants with lifejackets, marshalled by smugglers, walking along the railway. They headed to a public bus stop by a supermarket and boarded. Imagine that outside your local shop - lifejackets in hand, plain as day. Authorities know exactly what’s happening, yet facilitate it. We followed the bus into Dunkirk. The migrants walked towards the beach, one even in a wheelchair with a lifejacket on her lap. By nightfall, they were camped beside the cemetery. We checked on them through the undergrowth. A few hundred yards away, Dunkirk beach was empty of police or patrols, despite all the “special equipment” UK taxpayers fund. At dawn, they were gone. Their rubbish littered the ground. Binmen arrived to clean the mess up - but not the migrants. I rushed to the beach, convinced a launch was imminent, and called the police again. Still, nobody came. Sitting there, I felt anger at the French farce and shame at our own weakness. State visits, “landmark deals,” and hundreds of millions wasted. The French stop fewer boats than last year. Two thousand migrants have crossed in the last week alone. It’s all in plain sight. We are told this is “too complex” to fix. It isn’t. Change the law. Leave failed treaties. Deport illegal migrants. We are an island nation for goodness sake - we can end this. And end it we must.

My monologue on @TimesRadio 1pm today: The man who promised to stop the Ukraine-Russian war on Day One of taking power has instead on Day 42 decided to stop all further US military aid to Ukraine. The war, of course, continues to drag on.  President Trump says his arms embargo will only be lifted when he’s ascertained that President Zelensky is ‘serious’ about peace.  Exactly what he has to do to convince Trump is not clear. But I think we can be sure Trump will want it to involve a lot of grovelling and kissing of the ring.  Either that — implies the White House — or Zelensky should make way for a Ukrainian leader who IS prepared to bend the knee.  What happens next is anybody’s guess — it always is in Trump World. But amid the chaos and confusion it’s important not to lose sight of some pretty fundamental facts.  First, this is the worst crisis in the long and successful history of NATO and the Atlantic Alliance. It might not survive.  A pact which has kept us safe and secure for as long as most of us can remember is crumbling, for no good reason other than the capricious whims of a man in the Oval Office.  Second, it is being demolished on a litany of falsehoods. Trump says America has given Ukraine $350 billion in military, financial and humanitarian aid — with nothing to show for it.  Wrong. America has spent $120 billion. And the dividend has been to thwart Russia from taking all of Ukraine then going on to threaten the rest of Eastern Europe, consisting of America’s NATO allies.  Trump says America has given Ukraine a lot more than Europe. Wrong. European aid combined totals $138 billion, almost $20 billion more than the US.  Trump claims European aid is mainly in loans and it will be repaid one day whereas American aid is in grants. Wrong. The bulk of European aid, like American aid, is in grants.  Thus is NATO in danger of being dismantled on a tissue of lies.  But it gets worse. It’s increasingly hard to avoid the conclusion that Trump is a better friend of Russia than he is of NATO or Ukraine. That when it comes to a choice — Russia or NATO — Trump chooses Russia.  It is hard to credit that it can be so. Yet Trump is cutting off arms to Ukraine while Russia’s war machine continues unhindered and Iran, North Korea and China ramp up their support. The Trump administration is even preparing plans to drop sanctions on Russia before a peace deal is struck, adding to the concessions Trump has already indicated he’ll make to the Kremlin in advance of any talks. So much for his ‘Art of the Deal.’ As Trump tries to discombobulate us with all manner of stuff and nonsense it’s worth holding on to some other fundamentals.  There is an invader — Russia —  and a victim — Ukraine. There is a democracy — Ukraine — and a dictatorship — Russia.  There is a country who wants to be a European democracy and a Western market economy — Ukraine — and another that hates democracy, freedom and everything else the West stands for — Russia.  That we have a US president who sides with the invader and penalises the victim is proof that our world has turned upside down.  The US arms embargo will not undermine Ukraine’s war effort immediately. But it will take its toll as we head into summer.  Europe must do all it can to fill the gaps, as it’s already starting to do. But it cannot replace everything America is now denying.  Of course Trump may yet pull back from the brink. He wants that mineral rights deal with Ukraine. Zelensky may be prepared to abase himself. Things would be back on track. Sort of.  But not really. For what lunacy might Trump get up to next in pursuit of his own self-interest and ego? What hope of the Atlantic Alliance when its head is a better friend of Russia than Europe?  Whatever happens Europe must prepare for a future without America. It was already starting to realise that before Trump pulled the rug from under Ukraine. It can now be in no doubt — and must rearm accordingly.

If you agree with this opinion in the ⁦@dailytelegraph⁩ I would appreciate a repost…

British MPs have taken down another picture of Nelson, the greatest naval commander in history, a man who died for his country, and put up a picture of Yvette Cooper who cannot even control our borders. It is a powerful symbol of all that is wrong with Britain.

Yarden Bibas has asked that the horrific details of what was done to his beautiful baby boys is made public. Lest there be any doubt. Please honour the wishes of Ariel and Kfir’s father and share this as much as you can: 💔

Please show support through reposting, liking or commenting.🙏🏻 We’re all in this together!🤝🇬🇧

My open letter to the Education Secretary ⁦@bphillipsonMP⁩ Many teachers and school leaders share my concerns with regard to her decisions but are scared to say. If you can find it in you, please RT. My letter is also here: spectator.co.uk/article/what…

Tax his land, Tax his bed, Tax the table, At which he's fed. Tax his tractor, Tax his mule, Teach him taxes are the rule. Tax his work, Tax his pay, He works for peanuts anyway! Tax his cow, Tax his goat, Tax his pants, Tax his coat. Tax his ties, Tax his shirt, Tax his work, Tax his dirt. Tax his tobacco, Tax his drink, Tax him if he Tries to think. Tax his cigars, Tax his beers, If he cries Tax his tears. Tax his car, Tax his gas, Find any way To tax his ass! Tax him all he has, then let him know That you won't be done Till he has no dough. When he screams and when he hollers; Then tax him more, take all his dollars Then tax his coffin, Tax his grave, Tax the sod in Which he's laid... Put these words Upon his tomb: ‘Taxes drove me to my doom...' When he's gone, Do not relax, It's time to apply Inheritance Tax! #BudgetDay

Not many people these days know that the British Empire was the driving force behind ending the vast majority of global slavery. Slavery or de facto slavery was standard practice throughout the world from the dawn of civilization until a few hundred years ago. It is even discussed at length in the Bible, for example.

The political warfare campaign to delegitimise Israel through spurious actions in the international courts, mobilise widespread protest & generate hostile media coverage has been so successful that many leaders are afraid to stand up against it. That is despite knowing that Israel’s enemies are our enemies too. My article in today’s Telegraph. digitaleditions.telegraph.co…

1. The so-called fiscal hole she claims to have found was no such thing. It’s a mix of in-year funding pressures and the Chancellor’s own decision to throw money at the public sector unions.

Anybody scared? Cos I'll be honest, I'm fucking petrified.😬

For our beloved media, so desperate for a Labour Government: 1. Nobody who serves in Special Forces SUPPORT GROUP claims they are Special Forces. 2. Anyone who has served can say if they were or were not actually in combat - the ‘can’t discuss’ line has been used by Walter Mitty’s since time began. 3. Not a single person has put their hand up today and said they fought alongside Fred. Must have been one of those one-man missions that happen *all the time*. 4. He himself boasted of serving in Combat Missions. It is strange that he now cannot talk about it. Hey ho. You may think it’s ok for veterans to enter public life and bloat their military service. For those of us who did actually fight, it’s not.

Go, Yvonne!

Scathing assessment by Ben Wallace (in full) Foreign Office HQ is where British interests go to die "It is hard to pick out a low point from my dealings with the Foreign Office when I was defence secretary. Hard not because there weren’t any low points, but because there were so many. Like the time of the Sudan emergency, when it turned out that the ambassador, the deputy ambassador, and the head of security were all out of the country on holiday at the time of the coup, leaving us basically blind. Or when, during the evacuation of Kabul, it turned out that the only thing the Foreign Office’s rapid deployment team had done was “rapidly redeploy” themselves back to the UK just as the military and Ministry of Defence civil servants flew into danger. Or the constant efforts to block lethal aid to Ukraine for fear of “upsetting and provoking” Putin. The list sadly is too long for one article, but standing in silence in the UN for the death of the president of Iran has to be one of the lowest points. The Foreign Office seems to be governed by two principles. The first is “not to upset anyone”, even if it comes at the cost of Britain’s national interest. The second is that it has an overwhelming “duty of care”, not to UK citizens but to its own workforce. No sacrifice, no putting Britain first, no risk, and definitely no recognition that in today’s world you need to be good at “playing chess” with your opponents. Instead, we have a Foreign Office that hides behind protocol and pomposity. The blame for this lies not with our ambassadors but with a HQ in King Charles Street that has removed authority from them. The Foreign Office’s leaders, past and present, like Lord Macdonald, have reduced our ambassador network to being postboxes for centrally crafted policy nonsense. Foreign Office HQ doesn’t practice mission command or devolution, and ignores the knowledge of our people on the front line. I know of at least two ambassadors who were blocked from visiting locations because someone in London, who had never been to either country, decided that it was too risky for “their employees”. Even though I would have thought the ambassadors on the ground are best placed to know. Time and time again, the phrase “duty of care” was bounced around meetings by the Foreign Office permanent secretary. It was the “duty of care” mantra that saw us evacuate the Kyiv embassy to Poland when we didn’t need to. It was “duty of care” that saw King Charles Street demand that diplomats and military personnel left Sudan, even when we had a benign foothold in Port Sudan. But if the duty of care matra didn’t get you, the overwhelming desire by Foreign Office mandarins to not upset anyone saw us time and again fail to take sides. I remember when I decided we should show solidarity with Poland as Belarus started shoving immigrants through its border. Over dinner with my Polish counterpart, we agreed to send 100 Royal Engineers to the border. I found out later that the Foreign Office had prepared advice trying to stop it for fear of “provoking the leader of Belarus”. Luckily, the Ministry of Defence moved quicker than King Charles Street and we were already there. And our excellent ambassador in country had also rejected such nonsense. But it still didn’t stop some muppet suggesting that British troops remove their Union Jacks. At times, the department seemed more excited by being the “pen holder” of some minor sub-committee at the UN than it did standing up for Britain’s national interest. It was viewed as almost vulgar to be nationalistic. We got to the point in the Ministry of Defence where we called the Foreign Office “the pencil case”, so great was its desire to be seen to be something in the UN. But these positions catch up with you. If you stand for nothing, you end up eventually being found out. And this week, in the Security Council, the Foreign Office was found out. In what world was it the correct thing to do to stand in silence for the Iranian president? A man who ordered the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of innocent Iranians during the aftermath of the Revolution. A man who exported drones to Russia and Hamas to kill our allies and friends. The world is once again dividing between liberal democracies and authoritarian states. Britain has genuine enemies, yet it seems the Foreign Office doesn’t want to recognise that. I used to argue in security committees with those in the Foreign Office that Putin had already started playing chess. “The game’s afoot,” I would say. The only decision we need to make is whether we want a checkmate or stalemate. China also started playing this game a long, long time ago. The Foreign Office would prefer that unpalatable fact to be wished away. Pity those diplomats who know it but are prevented from doing anything about it by the centre. Pity the MI6 officers who know how to play chess but aren’t allowed to. And pity all those people looking to the UK for action who instead get nothing. There still are excellent diplomats out there. For too long foreign secretaries and ambassadors have been held back by a culture more interested in consensus and health and safety than actually being agents for our national interest. There is a saying “nothing ventured nothing gained”. It is time the Foreign Office started to play the great game once more." telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/05…