GAVIN Williamson, the Defence Secretary, has morphed into a deluded fantasist. He stated: “We can actually play the role in the world stage that the world expects us to play.” And: “This is our biggest moment as a nation since the end of the Second World War.”
As reported in The Independent, he goes on to imagine that the UK can “get as much of our resources forward based, actually creating a deterrent but also taking a British presence.”
What that is meant to “deter” and what the “presence” is meant to be or do, he does not add, or perhaps he really does not know! Does the “world” have that role in mind it expects the UK to play? Empire2 perhaps?
We have become accustomed to MPs at Westminster fantasising about punching above our weight and other skewed attributes about the UK globally, but the latest blethers from Gavin Williamson are disturbing.
Such blimpish uttering was thought to have been consigned to the midden long ago, but here it is billowing up like a damp Rule Britannia!
Does anybody take him seriously any more? Is this Cabinet thinking? Does the PM sanction such loose chatter? I expect he will be released from his tenure at the MoD in the next reshuffle.
John Edgar
Kilmaurs
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel