The threats Britain will face in the 21st century have revealed themselves in recent years. Lord Robertson — a former defence secretary, Nato general secretary and head of the Strategic Defence Review — has warned that the West faces a “deadly quartet” of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea who are “increasingly working together”.
The defence review, ordered by the new Government, will examine how to strengthen UK security at home and support Ukraine’s fight. It will do so in the context of a highly unstable world, not only with war in Europe and the Middle East, but also the threat of a Taiwan contingency and the spectre of an isolationist America under Donald Trump.
It is still early days for Sir Keir Starmer but already his party appears to be getting bogged down over tax and spend. From public sector pay to the child benefit cap, these are all core economic and social issues. Yet defence cannot be an afterthought. Indeed, only a month ago Rob Johnson, a recent director of the Ministry of Defence’s office of net assessment and challenge, suggested that the UK armed forces were not even capable of defending the British homeland and was unready for “conflict of any scale”.
This is about more than spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence. Britain must get serious about defence.
Lifelong benefits
It is sometimes said that giving up the nicer things in life doesn’t mean one lives longer, simply that it seems longer. Yet this country faces real challenges from an ageing population and an opportunity to become a world leader in longevity science. Speaking in Parliament, the Standard’s proprietor, Lord Lebedev, warned that the UK could “unlock huge benefits” if it develops a new approach to medicine that tackles the root causes of conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s and heart conditions.
Demographic change, with all the pressures it places on the economic and healthcare systems, makes adaptation a necessity, not a nice to have. Just a 20 per cent reduction in six major diseases, Lord Lebedev added, would lead to an annual GDP boost of nearly £20 billion, according to Andrew Scott at The Global Institute. This would deliver great benefits in quality of life to the individual, and some relief for the Exchequer. As a starting point, ministers ought to listen to the Standard’s Brave New World podcast, which explores the realms of longevity, neuroscience, biohacking and psychedelics.
Sound of a generation
A piece of Motown history ended as Abdul Fakir, known as Duke Fakir, the final remaining original member of the Four Tops, died on Monday. So kick off your shoes, fire up the record player and party on down to Reach Out, I’ll Be There.
