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The Bruges Group spearheaded the intellectual battle to win a vote to leave the European Union and, above all, against the emergence of a centralised EU state.
The Bruges Group spearheaded the intellectual battle to win a vote to leave the European Union and, above all, against the emergence of a centralised EU state.
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Bruges Group Blog

Spearheading the intellectual battle against the EU. And for new thinking in international affairs.

Illegal Immigration

Trafficking Soon - four star hotels, food and free money
We are now well into May, and it appears that the flood of illegal immigrants across the channel has not abated – if anything, as the weather improves it is likely to increase. The opportunity to control our borders, and to decide who enters the UK and for how long, was a key strand of Brexit, yet nearly seven years after the momentous vote, nothin...
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  477 Hits

A tale of three seas

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 Three seas and two waterways comprise what is arguably the most important geopolitical hub on the planet. The Black Sea, Mediterranean and Red Sea are joined by the Bosporus and the Suez Canal as a vital trade and security crossroads connecting Europe with the MENA countries and Asia. During the Cold War the Black Sea was dominated by the War...
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  471 Hits

Orwell Saw the Future Clearly

book-4373283_1920 The Ministry of Truth is awaiting its moment to be born.
Seventy five years ago George Orwell, in my view the greatest political thinker of the 20th Century, wrote the novel 1984. This was one of the most prescient books ever written, eclipsing most science fiction stories, in that it is so true to the age in which we now live, while, as a horror story it puts fantasies such as Dracula in the shade. Not ...
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  1749 Hits

Has Anyone the Courage to Lead?

stop-1001138_1920 Time for honesty and courage
Since the referendum governments have squandered opportunity. We should be in a strong position, but a combination of Pro EU Tories, the Blob and the Civil Service has put democracy at risk. The daily attacks on Brexit citing idiotic opinion polls, demonstrate a determination by the opponents of democracy to take us back into the EU whatever the co...
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  1350 Hits

Nothing is Done

lifeboats-6590295_1920 Wasted UK Money & Resources
In the Middle Ages, before the widespread use of gunpowder, the moat of a castle was an effective means of defence. Although the age of castles as strongholds is long gone we in this country have one trusty moat which has protected us for centuries, and I have often remarked, when contemplating history, and indeed modern threats, "Thank God for the...
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  952 Hits

Libertarians Are Not Our Friends

the-statue-of-liberty-2602636_1920 Liberty under attack
In a very revealing article many years ago called "Why I am Not a Conservative," a very famous libertarian let the cat out of the bag. He loudly denounced the argument for tradition and custom by calling for a form of anything goes liberalism and atheism. Some go even further, coming close to anarchy with their complete opposition to the state and ...
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  1097 Hits

The United States and Europe Redefined

Anglo-American280
It is past time to re-evaluate key U.S. assumptions about Europe and the European Union.  For far too long, America and Europe have had a very one-sided relationship. It is like a codependent marriage, in which one partner sacrifices his or her own needs for those of the spouse. That person's actions will completely revolve around the other pe...
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  1626 Hits

Revealed: EU did not fully stop arms sales to Russia until recently

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Toothless EU 2014 embargo on export of weapons to Russia finally enforced on 8 April 2022  Removal of loophole covered up by EU – not mentioned in latest sanctions press release In our previous report of 25 March on EU arms sales to Russia between 2014-2020 we revealed how a clause allowed weapons contracts to continue to be fulfilled if they ...
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  1640 Hits

Will the EU ever say ‘thank you’ to the United Kingdom for defending its territory?

RAF deploys fighter jets and Expeditionary Air Wing personnel to EU's Romania.  Once again, Brexit Britain flies to the protection of the EU On Saturday the Ministry of Defence announced that British Typhoon jets and Royal Air Force personnel are deploying to Romania. They will operate as part of NATO's 'Air Policing mission' for the Black Sea...
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  1674 Hits

EU sanctions busted by the French again

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 While others close their Russian doors, French tills in Russia keep ringing. French companies find reasons to do business in Russia while British companies pull out Economic sanctions from Western nations were meant to send a message to President Putin: Stop the war and withdraw from Ukraine. The French are ignoring world opinion. Many busine...
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  1239 Hits

British consistency makes it No.1 for Global Soft Power since 2010

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Facts4EU.Org presents their review of the major Global Soft Power rankings in the world. Their analysis of these rankings covers every year from the first in 2010 until the latest for 2022. We reviewed the three emerging ranking systems that have over time become more and more detailed and analytical. We started with the Institute of Governmen...
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  1670 Hits

AUKUS - Time to Raise the Periscope

AUKUS
By Mike Clitherow Wow, so much coverage everywhere of the AUKUS agreement and the outrage in France. Must be the Remoaners dream to be able once again knock their own country and cry for an EU member state. "Those naughty two faced Brexit Brits " they will scream. For me an important point has been completely missed in all media coverage. So n...
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  1692 Hits

The AUKUS Agreement Isn’t Perfect

Bermuda
On Wednesday, September 15th, 2021, the United States, United Kingdom and Australia announced a new trilateral security agreement, 'AUKUS', which has the purpose of improving collaboration in the defense sectors of the signatory countries including collaboration on artificial intelligence, cyber security, quantum technologies as well as undersea ca...
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  1942 Hits

The CCP and the Taliban - An Unlikely Friendship

China
The recent withdrawal of the U.S. and its ally forces from Afghanistan has been nothing short of being consequential. The ambiguity of Afghanistan's future has already been deemed a loss for the U.S. thanks to extensive media coverage and the Taliban's rapid conquest of the nation, despite Secretary of State Antony Blinken declaring it a successful...
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  1844 Hits

A Nest of Hornets

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Although we celebrated when European Communism collapsed at the beginning of the 1990s, it has proved not to be ‘The End of History’ as predicted by Francis Fukuyama, but more of a poisoned chalice, whose effects are becoming clearer day by day.

The Cold War has the advantage of simplicity as everyone, except the idealistic idiots of CND, and the traitorous fellow travellers who sought a Soviet triumph, were able to see that our most fundamental liberties were under threat from a totalitarian ideology, with ambitions to snuff out our democracy. We stood firm, and eventually the Soviets collapsed because of what Marxists would have referred to as their internal contradictions.

In the years that followed we came under came under attack from terrorists inspired by a mediaeval theology, and basically succeeded in driving them back. However the lack of a clearly identified enemy has led to the fragmentation of Western nations from within, as those who do not have a real foe have decided that they must find their opponents within their own society.

The Marxist organisations of Black Lives Matter, Stop the War and Extinction Rebellion have used reasonable causes to advocate extremist solutions, and have spread discord throughout society. The complete lunatics of ‘woke’ continue their campaign to denigrate our past, demonise all white people as ‘privileged’, and destroy free speech. Incidentally they might like to explain how my parents, who lived through the Great Depression, and saw a friend die of malnutrition in an English home, were ‘privileged’.

The absurd obsession of the American political class with these gender and cultural wars, to the exclusion of issues of real import, has led to probably the worst administration since the disastrous days of Herbert Hoover, with both the Presidency and Congress dominated by those who are consumed with the desire to argue about the inconsequential, while ignoring the truly significant. Not only has this already led to the betrayal of the people of Afghanistan, especially the women, but it has cast into doubt the future of the American place in the world, and to the future of NATO.

I am disgusted by the manner in which Western governments have scuttled out of Afghanistan, leaving the people to their fate. The inevitable result will be a resurgence of terrorist activity around the world, while the decent people of Afghanistan will once again be subjected to a mediaeval regime of bigots. It will embolden China, Iran and Russia, and make the world a more dangerous place for democracy. I dread to think of how of our troops those maimed in the conflict must now feel, while the loved ones of those killed must believe that they died in vain. In 1939 Leo Amery uttered his famous admonition “Speak for England” during the critical Commons debate on the German invasion of Poland and we in Tonbridge applaud our MP, Tom Tugendhat, for his similarly powerful speech on the debacle in Afghanistan.

I tremble for the future of those nations, such as Israel and Taiwan, for whom the retreat of the US to Fortress America will spell doom. For us the lesson must be that as America apparently reverts to inter war isolationism we must look to our defences. The most fundamental concept for any government should be patriotism, and the desire to put the interests of the people first, and its first duty, as is true of all governments, is the defence of the realm. We now face a world where Russia and China are hostile, Iran and associated Muslim states utterly opposed to our way of life, and, following the retreat from Afghanistan, America apparently reverting to inter war isolationism.

Obviously we are no longer the paramount military power in the world, as we were for over a century, but we are nevertheless, along with France, the only European nation which could, in the absence of American forces, resist an onslaught from the East. We must ensure that we are like a nest of hornets, sufficiently strong to make attacking us not worthwhile. This will entail immense cost, but, if American involvement in Western defences is to be curtailed, then it will be the only way to preserve our liberties.

To do this we need to double the size of the Army, and the RAF, while building a great many more Naval warships, including a large number of smaller frigates to guard our coasts, not least from the tide of illegal immigration crossing the Channel. In addition our military hardware should be built in the UK, necessitating reopening shipyards, and steelworks, while the insane policy of selling our most vital armament manufacturers to foreign owners must be stopped, and reversed. Importantly we must have a larger nuclear deterrent, which is fully independent of American control, while our capabilities in the realm of cyber space must be enhanced. All this would involve great expense, but that is the price of liberty.

Those who deride our martial abilities should remember that the UK’s DNA contains warlike Vikings, Saxons, Celts and Romans, that the British beat Philip II, Napoleon, the Kaiser and Hitler, and that when our freedoms are threatened we have always been a formidable opponent. I don’t believe that we have fundamentally changed, despite all the noise from those on the Left who hate their own country!

  2215 Hits

The Deal’s Backdoor Route to Defence Entanglement

EU-defence-
The Government's deal with the EU coupled with last-minute law changes in Brussels produce a new set of legal obligations which will renew concerns about UK involvement in 'Military EU'. Why was the Brexit vote actually a reprieve for the remain campaigning establishment? Because it meant they would never have to explain the arrival of EU mili...
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  3612 Hits

How a Legal Mystery Reveals the Continuing EU Threat to UK Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding
For years, politicians and industry associations have claimed that the UK can simply ignoring EU defence contract rules which require an international competition where the cheapest bid wins. If the rules were rigid, UK defence and shipbuilding industry would lose many UK Government contract overseas. But the rules are not rigid, they have always c...
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  3488 Hits

We Got Brexit Done!

Boris-Johnson
The Bruges Group Statement on Britain's EU Exit  https://www.brugesgroup.com/blog/statement-on-britain-s-eu-exit ERG Star Chamber Legal Analysis The full text of the Star Chamber's analysis of the trade deal https://lawyersforbritain.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ERG-Legal-Advisory-Committee-Opinion-on-EU-UK-Trade-and-Cooperation-Agreeme...
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  4413 Hits

Britain outside Europe; The need for a fundamental, multilateral based UK Indo-Pacific Policy

Britain outside Europe; The need for a fundamental, multilateral based UK Indo-Pacific Policy
By stating that the UK should prepare for a no-deal Brexit as both sides refused to compromise, the Rt Hon Michael Gove produced a shattering rebuke to Macron's hardliner posture over the negotiations. This change of tone from the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster exhibits an overdue realisation that Britain must have a plan for all eventualitie...
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  3317 Hits

Leaving The EU Defence Policy Will Be a Relief, But There’s a Sting in the Tail for British The Defence Industry

Ben-Wallace
People have asked whether the UK remains under EU defence policy during the transition.The answer is yes, the UK remains EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) until 31st December 2020.  This policy is a general term which not only includes the common formation of decisions and strategy, it also describes the political-military stru...
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  6125 Hits

Possible Threats to the UK’s National Security and to the Security of Every UK Inhabitant From a “Security Treaty” with the EU

NSC
Here are some facts that we believe need to be brought to the attention of the ISC: How many in government, at any level, are aware that the European Court of Human Rights declared that up to 5 years in prison awaiting, not just trial, but a prisoner's first appearance in a public hearing in open court, is perfectly legitimate, and a "reasonable ti...
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  3254 Hits

A Summary of 'Moralitis' and videos on this cultural virus

Moralitis-prom_20200905-172059_1
For too long tradition and common sense have been marginalised by an illiberal elite, whose supposedly progressive ideology has degenerated into a collective mental malady. This treatise describes the virulent spread of 'woke' groupthink as Moralitis - a cultural virus. The symptoms of this disease include "corrupted rationalism, infantile reasonin...
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  6054 Hits

Shamima Begum: Why Britain Must Act

Patel
Shamima Begum left London to join the Islamic state, with two other schoolgirls, in 2015. She has been a controversial topic in the court of public opinion as of late with deeply polarised attitudes prevailing on both sides of the political spectrum. One can see why the very mention of her name sparks strong opinion, after having said in her interv...
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  3298 Hits

Ian Gow: Thatcher's Closest Confidant

Ian-Gow-and-Thatcher
Ian Gow: Eminent Thatcherites by The Bruges Group - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwPRnfTdfVk&t=2s During these awful and bleak times, I felt it would be the perfect opportunity to take a closer look to the careers of some political giants who don't get the recognition or remembrance they deserve. One of my greatest interests is polit...
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  6150 Hits

In Remembrance of Our Greatest Peacetime Leader Margaret Thatcher: 13th October 1925 - 8th April 2013

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Margaret Thatcher's Bruges Speech, 1988 on The Bruges Group YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqv8HF84EOs Today marks the death of our greatest peacetime leader, Margaret Thatcher, a woman who defined British politics for more than a generation. Elected as the first female leader of any major political party in the UK in 1975, su...
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  7987 Hits

Airey Neave: The Man Who Helped Make Margaret Thatcher

Airey-Neave-and-Thatcher
Airey Neave: Eminent Thatcherites by The Bruges Group - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsnd8ESIktA During these awful and bleak times, I felt it would be the perfect opportunity to take a closer look to the careers of some political giants who don't get the recognition or remembrance they deserve. One of my greatest interests is political ...
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  19821 Hits

Ben Habib: The Brexit Barometer

Ben-Habib
I would like to share with you the speech and presentation I made at The Bruges Group annual conference in London on the 7th March. Whilst the UK officially left the EU on 31 January, it remains in its Single Market [paying some £1 billion (net) a month], its Customs Union and subject to the supremacy of the Court of Justice of the EU (CJ...
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  4291 Hits

Mark Francois: "Boris will be Battling for Britain in the EU Trade Talks"

Mark-Francois
Mark Francois MP's speech to The Bruges Group annual conference - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZWLTchiEus The Bruges Group were honoured to have The Rt. Hon. Mark Francois MP, Chairman of the ERG, address our annual conference at Buckingham Gate in London on Saturday 7th March. The Bruges Group conference proved, as ever, to be an immen...
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  4001 Hits

Boris Johnson Initiates Review of Defence and Foreign Policy Post Brexit

Boris-and-Corbyn
​Boris Johnson recently unveiled the United Kingdom's defence and foreign policy review details after the country's exit from EU. The move is in an attempt to establish UK's security strategy for the period of next five years. The six-month exercise is the next step in Johnson's assertion of control after the controversial and much-talked-about Cab...
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  3203 Hits

Post Brexit Priorities

Government
Boris Johnson and the Conservatives winning a more than impressive 365 seats last December, it gives the PM a working majority, something we haven't seen since the close of the Blair/Brown era.It is fair to say that the next step of Brexit will soon be taken; having left the EU further delays for implementation legislation were not tolerated. But w...
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  5225 Hits

What Boris Did Next

Boris-signing
I will be celebrating the 'New year' on 31st January 2020, although I cannot help be a little annoyed by the fact that we have to celebrate at 11:00 rather than 12:00 – presumably for the convenience of Brussels! Having said that, it is a very small price to pay for our freedom. This year will be momentous, as not only are we escaping the EU, but w...
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  3835 Hits

Britain Is Being Sucked Into The EU’s Military Structures; What Will PM Boris Do About It?

EU-Defence
By Andrew England Kerr MEP We've seen the usual tired old politics. What I haven't seen is any realisation of the real danger this country faces. Perhaps you have to see it first-hand to understand the true scale of it. I have over the past three weeks. I've watched the true force of the Franco-German domination of Europe as key positions are divvi...
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Recent Comments
Guest — Julienne Salem
We truly need full clarification from Boris Johnson on the much talked about, EU military unification. I have asked three MP's to... Read More
Sunday, 13 October 2019 09:07
Guest — Clive Layton
You have my support David. The tories can basically go to hell.
Wednesday, 30 October 2019 09:48
  7563 Hits

A Determined Prime Minister Can Take Us Out

Boris-Johnson-and-Jeremy-Hunt
Here is the fantastic Sir John Redwood MP's article first published on Brexit Central (https://brexitcentral.com/a-determined-prime-minister-can-ensure-we-are-out-of-the-eu-by-31st-october/) outlining how the right man can take us out of the EU by 31st October.  For too long we have witnessed this Parliament trying to delay or dilute Brexit. T...
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  4168 Hits

On the march - The European Army

May is signing Britain into involvement with the European Defence Agency, the European Defence Fund, the European Defence Industrial Development Programme and PESCO. The EU describes all these together as the start of its military 'integration' leading to the creation of 'a Common Defence' in five years' time. EU leaders have been telling us they a...
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Recent Comments
Guest — Adam Hiley
yet again Our Politicians are caught lying May must go eutruth.org.uk
Saturday, 20 April 2019 20:17
Guest — bingo sites offers
What a Great blog of the european army!
Tuesday, 13 August 2019 06:13
Guest — n/a
Can't wait to see the snowflakes when they realise that this is what they stayed in the European Union for, Ho!! and don't forget ... Read More
Thursday, 05 September 2019 07:21
  26421 Hits

Post-Brexit EU control over UK Defence

This article by JOHN PETLEY was published on February 13th 2019 by the Campaign for an Independent Britain The Norway model in defence integration Norway essentially has sub-contracted its security to the European Union. As the EU's defence integration programme has developed over the last two years, the rules for participation by non-member states...
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Recent Comments
Guest — BoPtah
It seems as though your 'duplicitous leaders' post has been deleted.
Tuesday, 05 March 2019 23:22
John Petley
Yes it was. A revised version was written which produced a lot of circumstantial evidence, but the lack of an actual transcript of... Read More
Wednesday, 13 March 2019 09:42
Guest — boptah
Yes. thanks John , I have discovered the other sites https://www.politicalite.com/brexit/brexit-bombshell-a-german-brexit-a-sca... Read More
Wednesday, 13 March 2019 10:12
  8598 Hits

Dangers to National Security and Individual Freedom in Mrs May’s “withdrawal” Agreement

Warning! If voted through, this agreement will be irreversible. Parliament will have bound its successors to the EU, possibly into the next century.   Click here to read the full research  The Outline Political Declaration prefacing this "deal" says we share basic values with other EU nations and reaffirms our commitment to the ECHR. This...
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Recent Comments
Guest — Adam Hiley
if the Tories don't wake up and remove Theresa May before Christmas I fear there is going to be serious civil disorder by angry or... Read More
Monday, 03 December 2018 22:07
Guest — Janet Walters
What the hell are you talking about Adam? Mrs. May had done so many things for the UK. People should respect her, not insult her l... Read More
Wednesday, 05 June 2019 08:58
  9507 Hits

Brexit must mean a clean break militarily

Supporters of Brexit have disagreed with each other – sometimes quite vehemently – when it comes to trade issues. Which model shall we go for? WTO? Canada? Norway? Take your pick, but you'll find someone equally committed to Brexit who will tell you that you're wrong. The focus of the Brexit debate has been trade and no one would deny that our futu...
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Recent Comments
Guest — Martin Carroll
Brexit, it’s implications real or imagined can really only be known upon our fulfilling this aspiration and knowing for ourselves ... Read More
Wednesday, 31 October 2018 00:25
  7999 Hits

Think Tanks and Maginot Lines

EU Strategic Funding of Defence and Security Analysts  Click here to read the research   This research looks at the EU's strategic funding of defence and security analysts and groups in the UK and more widely across Europe. This has important implications for the debate in the UK over the UK's involvement in the EU's swiftly evolving defe...
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Recent Comments
Guest — Harry
Nuclear weapons and NATO have kept the peace for the last seventy years. The last thing we need is an EUSSR army. Whose only purpo... Read More
Tuesday, 07 August 2018 06:31
  21686 Hits

The time has come to take a tougher stance with Germany

In a particular scene from one of Britain's most beloved sitcoms 'Fawlty Towers,' the main character, Basil Fawlty, spends considerable time attempting to not insult a German family but ends up doing so in spectacular fashion. This moment was forever immortalised when Basil remarks 'You started it!' to which a German guest replies 'No we did not!' ...
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  5810 Hits

Strengthening Alliances: How Poland should look to an Atlantic partnership with the US and the UK

Poland
As geopolitical stability in Europe is threatened by an increasingly belligerent Russia, Poland must look to strengthen her economic and regional security. While the current Polish government is already working towards this goal, it will need important strategic partners with converging interests to achieve this objective. Two longstanding allies t...
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  5927 Hits

Ireland and EU Defence Integration

​There's been a lot of talk about something called PESCO and whether it breaches the Irish constitution or the concept of neutrality. What is Irish neutrality and what does the Irish constitution say about it? First there's whether Ireland takes part in activity outside of its own territory and second there's whether Ireland permits other countries...
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Recent Comments
Guest — BoPtah
good article. This is how they plan to keep the UK tied to the EU in my opinion. Large industries tied to the EU through defe... Read More
Sunday, 18 March 2018 16:17
  6386 Hits

Lobby Your MP: EU Control Over UK Defence

​The UK has continued to enter defence agreements with the European Union following the 2016 referendum, ensuring that the UK will remain closely bound to the EU. The EU, in fact, has been pursuing the establishment of an 'EU Defence Union' to include the UK even after Britain leaves the EU. Send an email to your MP to call for a full Brexit for de...
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  7362 Hits

May, Munich, and Military Structures

Theresa May's Munich speech suggests UK's continued involvement in EU security structures post-Brexit Author: David Wilkinson Never mind the £350m on the NHS, the fundamental promises of Leave have just been betrayed. Saturday 17th February 2018 will be remembered as the date when all hope, all pretence, that Theresa May had any intention, let alon...
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  5742 Hits

British Involvement in EU Security Structures

British Involvement in EU Security Structures
​This short video introduces the series, which discusses various scenarios for defence and security post-Brexit, and the implications not only for Britain, but for the remaining EU member states as well. It provides context on the history of Britain's role as a "friend among nations," recalling specifically Britain's assistance in the Estonian war ...
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  5952 Hits

European Defence after Brexit - a conversation with Ants Laaneots

European Defence after Brexit - a conversation with Ants Laaneots
Ants Laaneots was commander of the Estonian Defence Forces and is now a member of the Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament. Theresa May's visit to Poland just before Christmas reminded us of the big realities of Brexit and the EU, realities which are often strenuously ignored.Some of the reporting has, maybe, been wishful of an adoption by HMG of a m...
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  6379 Hits

EU Defence and Military: An Analysis of PESCO and Other EU Security Initiatives

.       In November 2017 25 leaders signed up to the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). For the last few years the EU has been building up to a fully operative EU military and realigning member states funding of core projects to permit that to happen through the European Defence Fund (EDF). This is not a new con...
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Recent Comments
Guest — Michael Schwartz
A question for James Coghlan. Is there any intention on the part of the EU to introduce conscription (ie, the draft) to this new d... Read More
Thursday, 11 January 2018 00:32
James Coghlan
https://www.irishnews.com/opinion/letterstotheeditor/2017/06/29/news/eu-policy-could-lead-to-conscription-1070735/ If it leads to... Read More
Thursday, 11 January 2018 07:27
  7639 Hits

Government must scrap its compromises over EU military schemes

Veterans for Britain, supported by the Bruges Group, bring an urgent message to Manchester on Monday 2 October: we need full Brexit for defence and an end to recent UK commitments to the EU that have a nasty sting in the tail.

Since the Brexit vote, the UK has given a green light to the juggernaut of EU military schemes on the understanding we would be outside of them.

However, government position papers incredibly propose STAYING IN joint EU schemes on military finance, research and assets.

The schemes, which have never been voted on by MPs, would mean the UK staying in EU Common Defence Policy, the European Defence Agency and even EU defence procurement directives. Norway is the only non-EU country in the schemes and was obliged to accept these rules.

The PM has rightly declared the UK’s unconditional commitment to Europe’s defence via NATO.

However, we fear that MPs and ministers are not aware of the full implications of a Norway-style military union agreement. Many civil servants are aware of these implications and are pushing for UK entry relentlessly.

At the same time as these new EU military finance and structure schemes are being agreed, the EU is growing the remit of its Common Security and Defence Policy in a way that consolidates its control over EU Council-agreed military responses. The EU’s new military HQ, the MPCC, which UK diplomats tried in vain to change, is just a small part of this.

The EU is also tightening defence asset production rules to make an EU defence market in which member state governments will find it impossible to protect domestic defence jobs and industry eg Scottish shipyards in the UK’s case.

Sadly, the Government’s National Shipbuilding Strategy of September 2017 fully adheres to the latest EU rules in cross-border defence tendering – clearly anticipating a future where the UK would need to comply.

It is essential that at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester delegates are made aware of the risk to Scottish shipyards, particularly Ruth Davidson and her Scottish Conservatives team. The UK is heading towards a scenario where it is dictated by these EU procurement rules which will only become more assertive when the UK is fully committed to them.

‘Dodging the EU bullet’

Speakers: Major-General Julian Thompson, Colonel Richard Kemp, Captain Will Carver & Geoffrey Van Orden MEP

Monday 2nd Oct 11.00 at Manchester Town Hall, Albert Square, Manchester, M60 2LA

For more info on the commitments made by the UK to the EU military juggernaut and the risks posed from the proposal to stay in them, see:

http://veteransforbritain.uk/dexeus-defence-partnership-paper-is-a-grave-mistake-and-gives-the-eu-control/

and

https://www.brugesgroup.com/blog/the-uk-is-stuck-in-a-quagmire-over-eu-defence-union

  8169 Hits

Government Agrees to EU Military

Five concerns for the UK arising from the EU Defence Union

14th June 2017
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There are five main areas which the EU has been pursuing in order to establish what it calls an ‘EU Defence Union’ across the 28 EU countries, including the UK.

1. Procurement policy and incentives

2. Finance

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Recent Comments
Guest — Chunkie
THIS IS ABOMINABLE! Where an non British organisation has control over what a sovereign country which is about to leave equips its... Read More
Sunday, 18 June 2017 06:56
Guest — David Ellis
This is so important to the whole Nation brexit? our Crown everything ... We must all shout this from the rooftops !!! No mandate ... Read More
Monday, 19 June 2017 09:36
Guest — Anne Palmer
OUR GOVERNMENT AGREES TO EU MILITARY? Really? Is our Government also agreeing to build up all OUR Forces also? Our Air-Force... Read More
Saturday, 24 June 2017 12:22
  44366 Hits

EU security and counter-terrorism control after Brexit

Dominic Grieve, the Conservative Chairman of the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, argues that the UK must retain membership of the EU’s law enforcement agency (Europol) after Brexit, even if this means “accepting EU rules and judicial oversight for the European Court of Justice (ECJ).” This is not real Brexit and nor will it make us safer, in fact quite the reverse.

5th June 2017
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Security is the new defining issue of both British and European politics. Even the United States is concerned that Europe’s problem is a danger for us all. It will also form the key issue in the Article 50 Brexit negotiations, or at least so the Government hopes. According to The Daily Telegraph, the Cabinet meeting of 7th March 2017, which approved the strategy for PM Theresa May’s opening gambit in her soon to be sent Article 50 letter mentioned security no less than 11 times.

 

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Guest — Gerard Batten MEP
Quite so. Why would anyone trust the organisation that gave us the Common Agricultural Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy to g... Read More
Wednesday, 07 June 2017 12:10
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Co-operation after Brexit in the spheres of Justice and crime prevention

The UK should not seek full Europol membership or participation in the flawed European Arrest Warrant scheme.

30th May 2017

Introduction

One unavoidable fact about the modern world is that criminal gangs and terrorist groups work across national borders.

 

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The UK is stuck in a quagmire over EU Defence Union

EU Defence Union has gathered pace since late 2016 and the UK is deeply involved. Ministers have so far failed to explain why they are agreeing to the plans and how they will regain control.

15th February 2017
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A senior EU Commission official boasted in January that the EU "has done more in defence in the last seven months than in the previous decades".

 

It certainly looks like they have stepped up the pace since the Brexit vote.

 

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Recent Comments
Guest — Simon Blanchard
It doesn't seem as though Fallon, May or Johnson are aware the UK is leaving the EU any time soon, that we voted to leave the EU. ... Read More
Tuesday, 21 February 2017 00:06
Guest — Simon Blanchard
To surrender UK military and manufacturing capability to the remote workings of the EU is a serious dereliction to national securi... Read More
Tuesday, 21 February 2017 12:00
Guest — DICK R
This goes some way to explain the prolonged sham negotiations that are underway.
Tuesday, 04 April 2017 10:27
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EU Militarisation: A Dangerous Future

Protect our defence and security – Vote to Leave the EU
21st April 2016
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According to Colonel Richard Kemp Britain would be forced to join an EU army within five to 10 years if people vote to Remain in the EU.

“An EU army is inevitable. As the EU has declared, it is moving to ever closer union,  it intends to become a fully fledged superstate. That’s the plan.”

“We would essentially be giving up our right to sovereign self-defence. Control of the EU army would not rest with us but in a collective EU decision.”

“There would never be consensus for an EU military operation  to retake the Falklands. It could not happen.”

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