Let’s take a stand for humanity at home and abroad

LAST Monday, Air Chief Marshall Sir Richard Knighton, Chief of the Defence Staff turned ‘peace on earth, goodwill to all men’ upon its head.

- Hilton Dawson

Vladimir Putin

In what was his first of the annual lectures given by Britain's overall commander of armed services to the esteemed Royal United Services Institution (RUSI) he set out that our country’s situation ‘is more dangerous than I have known!

Following on from our Prime Minister’s recognition that ‘Defence must be the central organising principle of government’ Sir Richard said that ‘Our response needs to go beyond simply strengthening our armed forces.

It needs a whole nation response that builds our defence industrial capacity, grows the skills we need, harnesses the power of the institutions we will need in wartime and ensures and increases the resilience of society and the infrastructure that supports it.

‘Those of us spending lovely times with children and grandchildren over the next week, might want to reflect that we and they, are being prepared for war, particularly war with Russia and for a situation where ‘more families will know what sacrifice for our nation means!

Looking around at our teenagers this next week, I’ll take heart that no one is saying that war is imminent, but I'll wonder about their own activities and career choices.

T'll think about the implications for whether they might end up in the front line of some armed service, or whether in research or development or industry evermore geared towards conflict.