𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir Starmer is dithering yet again over deploying the Royal Navy – this time to keep the Strait of Hormuz open – despite Donald Trump urging Britain and others to deploy ships to the vitally important waterway. The Prime Minister is dragging his feet by saying he is consulting allies first – meaning that, even if sent, British ships will not get there until long after they are needed. Surely, the historic purpose of the Royal Navy has been ensuring that trade flows freely round the world? Now is the time for Starmer to honour that legacy. Meanwhile, our one naval contribution to protecting our military base in Cyprus, HMS Dragon, is slowly making her way towards the Eastern Mediterranean, having hung around for days in the English Channel.

In contrast, French President Macron has swiftly sent an aircraft carrier, eight frigates and two amphibious helicopter carriers to the region. He flew to Cyprus and personally pledged his support alongside the Greek Prime Minister. Like Starmer, he insists his role is merely defensive but it is an impressive fleet to deploy at a moment’s notice and embarrasses us, a once great seafaring nation, as our expensive naval assets remain firmly in harbour.

Macron understands the importance of international gestures and geo-political presence, knowing it will give him a bigger say in any post-war negotiations. Two French frigates were dispatched to the Red Sea to ensure freedom of navigation and maritime security. He has defence agreements with several Arab states, including Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE, plus 400,000 French citizens working in the region.

He does not want to let them down, unlike Starmer who witters on about putting British interests first while ignoring our global obligations.

For the first time in 46 years, there is no Royal Navy presence in the region with minehunter HMS Middleton having been sent home seven weeks before the outbreak of war. It is a complete Foreign Office failure that no one saw the build-up of US naval power in the Indian Ocean and thought to send our own ships to the area to protect our citizens and allies. The embarrassing removal of the solitary minehunter is thought to have been made in order to save money, as indeed were the reduced hours of dockyard crew which partly explains HMS Dragon’s delay in sailing for Cyprus.

And yet, this is the absolute first purpose of the Royal Navy and has been for centuries. Our ships won supremacy at sea in order to protect our citizens and commercial interests around the world. The British Empire was a vast network of naval bases and trading centres exporting and importing goods to the four corners of the globe. Free trade was our policy and our warships ensured the security of the seaways from pirates and hostile nations.

Our reputation and influence was based on the principle of protecting sea routes. Ensuring the Strait of Hormuz – which carries 20% of the world’s oil supply – is not closed to oil and gas transport should be very much part of this traditional purpose.

It’s no wonder that President Trump, brought up on tales of British naval mastery, should be so disappointed by the failure of Starmer to lead the way in protecting international sea ways, saying the UK is no longer the “Rolls Royce of allies”. When Winston Churchill was First Lord of the Admiralty, he understood this heritage and British warships were dispatched around the world to ensure the defence of key bases. As Trump said, Starmer is no Churchill and he is betraying the legacy of the Royal Navy by failing to use the fleet to maintain our commitment to free flowing trade.

A combination of penny-pinching, shameful politicking and a naked submission to sectarian voting blocs all appear to be responsible for Starmer’s failure to act decisively. But whereas his dilly-dallying may make sense in the small world of Westminster, it’s viewed by our international allies and trading partners as a grave dereliction of duty which makes this country seem even smaller and irrelevant in the 21st century.

Despite more than £6billion having been spent on two new aircraft carriers, Starmer seems happy for them to be making no contribution during this crisis of navigation. Yet any threat to energy supply increases the cost of living at home. If Starmer knew anything about our glorious naval past, he would know that our ships are there to serve the national interest – not his political posturing – and he should be deploying them swiftly and effectively.