Christmas is over, and the policy “shopping lists” need to be put away. Not because nothing is being done, but because lists don’t enfranchise people when politics feels 'done to them'. Politics should be personal, and this year it hasn’t been. If Labour wants to improve its standing, it needs a New Year’s resolution that matches the world as it is: stronger security at home and abroad.
The Government has, so far, focused on defence procurement. However, I believe we haven’t talked enough about defence people. That conversation includes recruitment expansion, alongside a new kind of national service, as well as better recognition for veterans, if we want to protect our way of life and values.
When it comes to leadership, at some point - sooner rather than later, if you ask me - somebody with sufficient courage in Labour will need to step forward with an offering that resonates. Whoever that may be and whenever it may emerge, one thing is certain: we need demonstrable leadership on security from them.
I recently returned from a trip to the USA to see family for Christmas. However, this nostalgic former naval officer couldn’t help but take a trip to see the sights in the home of America’s naval aviation. I was genuinely pleased to see the special relationship reflected in something simple: the recognition of allied veterans.
I’d cheekily enquired at one exhibit whether it was reciprocal for British veterans, and the enthusiasm was startling. What struck me is that their recognition of veterans and their service feels more inherent - less about government mandates or PR drives, and more about a cultural instinct that military service is part of what protects their way of life. Even more so, it was reflected in veterans volunteering as guides at exhibits I visited, such as the Navy SEAL museum and the USS Midway.
It dawned on me when I looked under the wing of just one aircraft and lost count of the individual components, and I couldn’t help thinking about how many skilled jobs - how much training, craftsmanship, quality control, logistics, and maintenance - were required to get that one piece of equipment ready for the pilot to fly it.
Detractors may sneer and call it the “military industrial complex”, but the reality is that defence equipment isn’t just “kit”: it’s an industrial ecosystem. It’s why I’m pleased to see the UK Government has begun investing again in munitions capacity, and defence procurement is increasing significantly.
Labour needs to ramp up defence recruitment for what's coming. This will test the new leader - Stuart Fawcett | Getty Images
Later, onboard USS Midway, I was viewing George H.W. Bush’s former aircraft - when a guide outlined how the United States has benefited from six former Presidents, and plenty of politicians besides, who served in their Navy. I couldn’t help but consider if, perhaps, Britain could take their lead with its future leadership someday.
The battlefield has changed since Midway's day - on land, at sea and in the air - having become more technological than ever before, but I still think we need to refocus on the best investment the state can make: defence people. And by that I mean uniformed people: the Armed Forces, the reserves, and a broader organised manpower base that can be drawn on if NATO requires it of us.
Gap year placements are now becoming available for under-25s. That’s a good thing - having joined the Royal Navy at 18, I’d strongly encourage young people who can at least look at service.
The life skills you get can’t be taken away, and your training won’t just benefit your military career but your subsequent one, too. Military recruitment is already on the uptick, but I’m concerned it isn’t growing fast enough.
I still feel we need something alongside recruitment expansion - a new kind of National Service with a National Civil Defence service. I wrote about it earlier this year for GB News.
Would such steps be pushing us toward militarism? No, absolutely not - and I wouldn’t be a proponent of that. But our way of life is dependent upon security, and if we aren’t addressing threats to it on the world stage, we could find ourselves doing so dangerously close to home.
So I think Britain's New Year’s resolution should be to renew our cultural relationship with our security and those who contribute to it, with a realistic outlook that more of us may need to participate in it in the near future.
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