Quote of the day 12th January 2026

"I have worn this country’s uniform. I know what it means to place your trust - and your life - in the decisions taken by political leaders back home.

Nigel Farage’s refusal to stand with the Prime Minister in supporting Ukraine tells us everything we need to know about the kind of leader he really is.

When a brutal, authoritarian regime is attempting to redraw Europe’s borders by force, Mr Farage’s immediate declaration that he would vote against sending British troops to Ukraine as part of a peace settlement - is not principled restraint. It is an abdication of responsibility. It is walking away when leadership is required. Evading our moral duty to help secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is not patriotism - it is politics without courage. It is a failure to rise to the role he seeks to play.


Those who have served do not talk lightly about deploying troops - because we are the ones who live with the consequences long after the headlines move on. But understanding the cost of action also means understanding the cost of inaction. Securing a just and lasting peace is in all our interests. And if the presence of British troops on the ground is necessary to achieve that peace, we must be prepared to face that reality.

History teaches us this lesson repeatedly. If Vladimir Putin is allowed to defeat Ukraine without consequence, he will not stop there.

So when Mr Farage dismisses serious discussions about collective security, he is not standing up for Britain - he is weakening it. Our national security rests on strong alliances, credible deterrence, and the willingness to defend democratic values beyond our own borders. Ignoring these realities serves no one but Vladimir Putin.


And this is not a far-fetched concern. Mr Farage’s latest comments reflect a broader pattern of Reform UK parroting Kremlin talking points.

His refusal to support the deployment of troops to Ukraine comes hot on the heels of the conviction of Nathan Gill, Reform’s former leader in Wales, who has been sentenced to over ten years in prison for taking bribes to promote pro-Russian propaganda in the European Parliament.

This case cannot be dismissed lightly, and neither should Farage’s words – remember he said that Putin was the world leader he admired most. They reveal Reform UK’s failure to confront the threat posed by Russia, a complacency that risks emboldening it further.


I do not doubt that many people who support Mr Farage do so out of a genuine desire to put Britain first. I respect that instinct. But putting Britain first means standing up to bullies, not echoing them.

It means recognising that our own freedom is inseparable from the freedom of others.


This is a serious moment for our country. It is one that demands true leadership. When democracy is under attack, choosing to look the other way is not neutrality - it is a choice. And it is a choice our adversaries are all too eager to exploit."


Al Carns MC, the Minister for Veterans, who served in the Royal Marines, writing in the Mirror.

There are very few issues on which I agree with Britain's present government or would quote a minister in that government with approval. But the need for Britain to support Ukraine is one of them.

 

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