AM I your only reader who is not only angered but also greatly saddened by the comments made by the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson (Defence dud Williamson, February 12), when he talked about the Government boosting “its military standing and lethality”, and also “taking military action to protect its interests abroad”?

What exactly does he mean by “lethality”, and what exactly are our “interests abroad”? Presumably this is a forerunner to whatever illegal activity the hard right of the government anticipate getting involved in in the future, possibly in cahoots with the dreaded US special relationship buddies from across the pond.

What are “our” interests abroad? Who are we going to “keep in their place”? I seem to think that England’s influence stops at the English Channel; maybe this is to stop these dastardly foreign chappies from trying to take over the Channel Islands or something.

It is time that this Westminster Government accepted the fact that it is in reality broke. Huge aircraft carriers with no money to buy the planes with which to equip them; a police force so short of resources that law and order is breaking down; a vastly expensive new London underground rail system seriously over budget; the hi-speed rail link to Birmingham going out of control, just so that those who might want to can get there 20 minutes earlier than is presently possible; millions being spent in London, just because a cemetery is now required for a rail station, disturbing and removing the remains of several thousands of poor souls who should have been left in peace.

Then we are going to go ahead with a huge programme to upgrade Heathrow Airport, at a time when, we are told, the world’s eco-system is going to fall apart – and, in the words of John Lawrie in Dad’s Army, “We’re a’ doomed”.

Do not bother to even think about the problems with hospitals, schools, care for the sick and elderly, the list goes on and on.

Time that this Union-flag-waving mentality was not just consigned to history, but removed from the possibility of making the lives of so many normal people a misery ever again.
George M Mitchell
Dunblane

IT would be easy to dismiss failed fireplace salesman Gavin Williamson as an embarrassing irrelevance. However, to think of him as a Tory version of Inspector Clouseau would be a mistake.

His call for a massive build up of military force post-Brexit was framed in terms of confronting Russia and China. Williamson was declaring that UK forces could go to war on virtually any pretext, such is the alleged ambiguous nature of the “threats”.

Williamson’s speech was an endorsement of the Pentagon’s 2017 National Security Strategy document. Supported by Trump, it argued the US was now involved in “great power competition”.

Despite developing a reputation as a buffoon Williamson is a potential future leader. He is advocating massively increasing spending on defence (war) at the expense of education, pensions, benefits and health. The Tories are saturated in imperialism. This jingoism plays well to their imperial fantasies.

Williamson, it should be recalled, was shown to have drawn up plans to use the Army to to deal with the expected post-Brexit chaos.

When Brexit occurs and the reality hits, There will be protests to demand higher living standards, tax increases for the wealthy and an end to repression and militarism. The Tories and the crooked banks will make no concessions to workers’ social and political demands. Rather, they are preparing a drastic intensification of repression of social protest.
Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee