Alphen, Netherlands. 21 July. Britain
stands at a grand strategic juncture. In a speech broadcast from 10 Downing
Street on VE Day, 8 May 1945, and entitled “Advance Britannia”, Winston
Churchill said, “We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing, but let us
not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead”. Thankfully,
post-Brexit Britain does not find itself prostrate on the rocks of penury having
fought a six year war in the defence of Europe’s freedom. As Churchill made his
famous speech British debt to GDP stood at 250%, compared with a contemporary ratio
of a still too-high but manageable 89.2%. However, if Britannia is to advance
Prime Minister May must be under no illusions about the culture, thinking, and
groups she must either change or face down if Britannia is truly to advance.
Who are they?
Scottish secessionists: The Scottish Neverendum Party (SNP)
represents a clear and present danger to the Union because they will use any excuse
to secede. Secession is, after all, why they exist. Prime Minister May must
face them down, not least by pointing out the inconsistencies in their case,
and not just about Scotland’s economic fundamentals. The SNP fought the 2014
independence referendum with a clear understanding that if they succeeded they
would take Scotland out of the EU. Now, they are claiming to fight for
independence to keep Scotland in the EU. Worse, by campaigning in the UK-wide Brexit
referendum SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon legitimised the vote as a UK-wide vote.
To claim now it legitimises her call for a second independence neverendum
might be clever politics, it is also rank hypocrisy. A renewed clash over the future of Britain is now inevitable.
Remoaners and lawyers: My on balance preference was for Britain to
remain in the EU. However, I am a democrat and accept the decision of a
majority of the British people to quit, as I would have accepted the settled
will of the Scottish people had they voted to quit the UK in the 2014
once-in-a-generation referendum. Efforts by those on the losing side to change
the result by legal hook or political crook are appalling. If they succeed democracy
will be well and truly dead in the UK, to be replaced by legal fiat. This is a battle
that has been long in the making between Parliament and a section of the
judiciary who routinely seek to use European law to erode parliamentary
sovereignty. Brexit must indeed mean Brexit, and democracy must indeed mean
democracy.
Little Britons: Some of the post-Brexit commentary about a post-EU Britain
demonstrates the extent to which many in London do not understand power. One of
my critiques of the EU has been the extent to which Brussels has hastened the
retreat of many Europeans from power in favour of often vague, vacuous, dangerously
self-defeating and self-deluding ‘values’. Too often the EU has failed to aggregate
the power of its member-states into strategic influence and effect. This has
contributed markedly to the culture of decline management one finds at the
heart of Westminster and Whitehall, and which has done so much damage to Britain
and its strategic brand.
Little Englanders: Then there are triumphant little Englanders, some
of whom seem to think a post-Brexit Britain is on the verge of rebuilding the British
Empire. There are signs that the clunkily-named (I think I named it!) world Anglosphere
is beginning to swing behind Britain. However, the Anglosphere must not be seen
as an alternative to engagement with Europe. Little Englanders are particularly
deluded over immigration. Britain’s power is established on its facility and
ability as a trading nation. Given the link between trade and the free-ish movement
of peoples the only real choice, and by extension control, post-Brexit Britain will
have over immigration is from whence it comes and for what purpose. The real choice
Britain faces in this world is between wealth and power or poverty and
weakness.
Vengeful Europeans: There are those in Europe, particularly in the Élysee
Palace it would appear, who want Britain ‘punished’ for exercising democracy. They
and their ilk should be left under no illusion that whatever the domestic pressures
they face a pragmatic and respectful Brexit is in the best interests of all. The
alternative is the mutual impoverishment and weakening of the democracies, and
the strengthening of real adversaries and enemies. Thankfully, Chancellor
Merkel appears to understand that, even if she will do all she can to protect
German interests during the Brexit negotiations.
Economists: …because all things being equal they do not understand
power and are wrong about everything.
The May Strategic Agenda: Prime Minister May must now rebuild the
very idea of Britain and build it on power fundamentals. Britain is the world’s
fifth biggest economy and the world’s fourth biggest defence spender. Britain
is not the small island that some would have it and in any case power not geography
(Mackinder or no!) dictates influence and effect. From a defence-strategic
viewpoint the British armed forces will have a particularly important role to
play in rebuilding the idea of Britain. This is not because the future Britain
will be militaristic or nationalistic, heaven forbid! However, a country needs
a sense of moderate patriotism to function and such patriotism must identify
with a legitimate strategic brand that is built on power. And, given the dangerous
world into which Britain is moving the armed forces must combine with Britain’s
amazing soft power to communicate to the world British strength and stability. When
Britain’s strategic brand is strong, Britain and the world are a safer place.
To succeed Prime Minister May will need to combine strategic imagination, purpose and resolution. For too long the very idea of
Britain has been suborned by political correctness, nationalist secessionists, those
for whom the very idea of country is bad, nostalgic idiots, and short-termist, visionless
politicians who have allowed the very idea of Britain to whither, and for whom Britain
is mere balance-sheet. From the conversations I have had it was precisely such
views of Britain that were rejected by the pragmatic and informed many in my
native Yorkshire, the heartland of the Great Revolt.
Churchill finished his VE Day
broadcast with a call to peaceful arms that is no less relevant today. “We must
now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task both at
home and abroad. Advance Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom! God save
the King!”
