All well and good, and your position will most likely prevail. That said, my salient point and the reason I brought up the Empire is that I would rather Britain become an island Switzerland: a fortress and redoubt by virtue of our geography, our armed forces, and our nuclear deterrent, while focusing on building a better society here at home in this green and pleasant land. Why? Mostly because I live here, as do my family and friends. Secondly, because I believe the world is going to become a much more dangerous place as Western economies struggle to maintain their privileged positions and as climate change places increasing pressure on nations and resources. Europe has always been problematic and has been the cause of the deaths of tens of millions of people over the centuries. I genuinely loved the European Union as a stabilising force and, at times, a shining light on the hill. However, my less-enlightened compatriots democratically chose to leave it, and so, conscious of where we now stand, I believe it is time to draw in our horns and concentrate on the homeland in all its diversity. Russia, lest we forget, remains armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons, while China stands behind it and continues its rise. If we can use our armed forces primarily for national defence and resilience supported by a volunteer reserve that can assist during floods and other national emergencies then I would strongly support and encourage that approach. It is often the political and strategic elites who advocate military adventures abroad, defence pacts, and power projection. Ordinary people tend to want peace, prosperity, security, and a decent future for their families. In the United Kingdom, we have a good chance of achieving those things if we accept that we cannot solve the world's problems and stop trying to do so before addressing our own. As my dad was wont to say and taught me at his knee from his experiences in the Second World War "don't poke the bear; the Soviets saved our arses." Before the war he worked at the Woolwich Arsenal and rushed to volunteer when war broke out. He was eventually accepted in late 1940 when restrictions on recruits wearing glasses were relaxed. He would have thought supporting Ukraine in the way we have been was madness, and he would also have thought Putin's Russia were a bunch of right bastards—and he would have been right on both counts. I carry on his inheritance in both temperament and intellect and am currently, with the help of ChatGPT, transcribing his extensive wartime diaries from his service as a signalman. My childhood was steeped in the Second World War. Tens of thousands of hours were spent talking and debating with my father, who owned hundreds of books on the subject. The war dominated his psyche, and in many ways it has come to dominate mine as well. On the weekend before his death, at Christmas 1996, we talked at length about our shared Christian socialism and came to the conclusion that the Sermon on the Mount was the closest thing to a perfect template for human behaviour ever devised. Of course, he was right. We will build Jerusalem or die in the attempt. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. — Matthew 7:24–25 Ameen (sic)
