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What has James Heappey been up to today?
James Heappey is MP for Wells and a member of the Conservative party.
James Heappey has 20441 followers on Twitter.
This really will be very interesting especially from @KarenPierceUK (providing she’s free of Govt restrictions). She & her team had excellent connections into the Trump team and will have better insight than anyone on how the special relationship is now valued in DC. Fascinating.
Tomorrow we'll discuss the special relationship with former UK Ambassadors to the US. Eager to hear from @KarenPierceUK, @PeterWestmacott, Nigel Sheinwald and David Manning!
🕥Wed 5 Mar, 10.30am Cttee Rm 4 and online: https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/96a561ce-6658-47d4-a52a-d644b92549b7
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Some images just in from the King’s visit today on board HMS Prince of Wales - which is at sea ahead of its deployment next month.
📷 @RoyalNavy
We must not wait a minute longer to use Russia's frozen billions to aid Ukraine's fight, argues BILL BROWDER | Daily Mail Online
Being in opposition when Govt is right is hard. Getting airtime mostly requires disagreement! I admired how @Keir_Starmer & @JohnHealey_MP were so constructive in private briefings & from oppo benches when we were setting pace on Ukraine. There’s honour in doing same in return.
Starmer has done the right thing today.
We will need to go further, and bring other countries with us, but he has put the UK into a genuine position of leadership in support of #Ukraine.
I’ll criticise when he gets things wrong, but today he’s done the right thing.
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There are only a few countries who’ve thus far committed troops to force in Ukraine. If he didn’t mean UK or France, he perhaps meant Estonia or Denmark instead? I fought alongside both in Iraq & Afghanistan they’re proper warriors too. Which ever way you cut it, VP is wrong.
Kemi on Vance:
"I know JD Vance quite well. I've looked at the comments, I don't think he actually said that.
A lot of people are getting carried away. They're saying loads of things and getting quite animated let's keep cool heads."
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These are important announcements from @vonderleyen but they depend on member states taking opportunity & with necessary urgency. Increased deficits & EU loans are not free money - still leave difficult political choices.
UK’s 2.5% announcement already seems too small. 3% now?
We are living in dangerous times.
Europe‘s security is threatened in a very real way.
Today I present ReArm Europe.
A plan for a safer and more resilient Europe ↓ https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1YpKkBrgRpAxj
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Sobering point made at @CEPS_thinktank #IdeasLab session on Ukraine. Suggested US might ban allies frm providing any weapon systems covered by ITAR.
Lots of ITAR-free innovation over last few years but interesting to know from procurement experts how serious such a ban could be?
One other thing. The idea we can only increase defence spending to 2.5%, with some vague 3% aspiration is for the birds. We now need a major programme of rearmament. And it needs to start immediately because Putin will calculate his maximum window of opportunity is aligned with…
As ever, @shashj calls it right. It leads to an unbelievable choice for Macron & Starmer. Maintain transatlantic alliance or stand up to Putin & secure European continent. Those aims have always seemed inseparable. Yet as each week passes, they feel more mutually exclusive. Grim,
If you were the Kremlin, why would you make any concessions right now? You have every incentive to demand it all: land, sanctions relief, demilitarisation, neutralisation & no troops in Ukraine. If it collapses, Trump likely to blame Ukraine anyway, allowing continuation of war.
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NATO Article 5 has been invoked once - on 12/9/01 by 🇺🇸, after 9/11.
🇬🇧 &🇫🇷 came to their aid deploying 1,000s of personnel to Afghanistan, including my own brother & numerous parliamentary colleagues, past & present. It’s deeply disrespectful to ignore such service & sacrifice.
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Serving with 🇺🇸 & 🇫🇷 were defining moments of my military career. Visiting 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇫🇷 joint ops around world - highlights of ministerial career. Being in room as ‘P3’ response to threats of recent years was considered, the most sobering. Sad to hear the relationship reduced to this.
Bad news for Starmer and Macron. Vance confirms the only US security guarantee in Ukraine will be the mineral deal. He also plays down British & French peacekeeping troops as “20k troops from some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”.
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Very sensible & non-partisan piece on Defence spending, Euro security & scaling defence industry from @KemiBadenoch. Acknowledgement that 3% on Defence brings tough choices is important. Even more so, is her offer to support Govt as they make them.
All across Europe, presidents and PMs are publicly expressing their supporting @ZelenskyyUa. Literally dozens of them. They do this not in response to another outrage from Putin but the President of United States. This is a remarkable moment.
Ukraine is Europe!
We stand by Ukraine.
We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the agressor.
Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It’s up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge.
Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit. Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people.
Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.
I don’t know where Starmer is right now but he needs to get back to Washington. This really is a moment for the British Prime Minister to do what PMs have done so many times before & bridge between Europe & US. And tonight that may well mean mediating between Trump & Zelensky.
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Hard to overstate how serious this could be. Europe views this profoundly differently to position being espoused by Trump & Vance here.
But yesterday it was all so different & tomorrow may be different again. So whilst acknowledging magnitude of what just happened, let it soak.
Watch this carefully. Very important.
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WTF
Dear @ZelenskyyUa, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.
“If Ukrainians can solidify their position in the Kursk Oblast, then Putin will be forced to respond.”
Putin will be forced to move troops away from Donbas to defend against Ukraine's "clever" invasion in the Kursk region, says @JSHeappey
@AasmahMir
📻http://shorturl.at/I68kl
For the memories and the victories.
The brilliance and resilience.
The motivation and inspiration.
Thank you for everything, Andy 🥹
Filling in for James O'Brien this morning for guest host week is @JSHeappey.
Join the conversation:
📞 0345 6060 973
📱 84850
I’ve heard this might be rather triggering for a recovering former politician but really looking forward to #TheConstituent this evening.
Too few people get to choose Party leaders (and future PMs). The Tories have said that if you become a member by 7pm tomorrow (Wednesday) you can vote for the next leader.
Sign up to CHANGE the conservatives and the country https://membership.conservatives.com/membership/Levels
I’ve always thought that if @JamesCleverly runs, he’d get my support. He’s a unifier - liked by all parts of our divided party. He communicates well. Builds good teams. Is highly experienced. And most importantly of all is a really decent man.
He’s exactly the leader we need.
Interesting difference here. @Smyth_Chris reports today “build first, mitigate later” whilst @DanielMumby reported last week something much more collaborative. Could easily be same message written with different emphasis. Or it *could* be a U turn already
I’ve never been entirely certain how the stuff General Stuart was already doing would be massively different to the works of the new Border Command. In truth, I thought Labour would simply re-badge him and otherwise keep him doing what he’s been doing. 🧵
“The US can never turn its back on its Atlantic seaboard.”
The US will "always be a Euro-Atalantic actor” and wants to see Europe contribute more to Indo-Pacific security, says former minister of state for the armed forces James Heappey.
📻:http://shorturl.at/bzb79 | @edvaizey
What Rob is too modest to say is that under his leadership SONAC did all this analysis for IRR/DCPR. They also collated evidence from across armed forces/veterans/industry/NGOs/academia etc.
New review could just dust off Rob’s DCPR work from 24 months ago & be done much quicker
The UK government has announced the commencement of a consultative defence review. This is a good step.
They have chosen a triumvirate with experience, authority, and technical expertise. The consultation will be valuable if it is heeded.
There are some risks... 1/
I agree with The King. 3-1 up with 15 minutes to go would be great, please. These last minute goals are killing me! 🏴
WE HAVE DONE IT 🤩
The #ThreeLions have reached the EURO final for a second time in a row… and in our history!
Why does our foreign policy matter to you?
Here's my answer.
Had never watched this before. What an amazing moment it must have been.
“Advance, Britannia… Long live the cause of freedom… God save the King”
#VEday
WHAT. A. FINISH!!! #GoArmy #BeatNavy #ArmyVNavy
Go Army, Beat Navy! 🇬🇧
Remember watching Monty & Jimmy fending off the Aussies from the Ops Room in Sangin in July 2009. Those were bleak days but England holding on for that draw & setting up the series win that followed put occasional smiles on otherwise grim faces. Shame to see him reduced to this.
Somerset Council Apologises for Trying To Evict Defence Company https://order-order.com/2024/04/26/somerset-council-apologises-for-trying-to-evict-defence-company
What an unbelievable waste of time. A council that is massively in debt & struggling to get their finances into balance has surely better things to do than this. Especially when it turns out the whole thing was nonsense anyway.
Absolute legend.
It’s shame Labour won’t commit to new 2.5% baseline. Such a commitment now would show cross-party UK leadership in NATO, reassure allies in Washington, send strongest message to Putin & our adversaries, & give confidence to UK industry to scale up irrespective of GE result [1/2]
Thanks to @adamfleming & the team at #BBCNewscast for having me on this evening. Important discussion on the war in Ukraine, UK defence spending & the naming of a lifeboat on our next aircraft carrier!
This is an excellent speech by @RishiSunak. I hope European leaders get the message and follow his lead: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/prime-ministers-defence-speech-in-warsaw-23-april-2024
"This is the new world we're in..."
Former armed forces minister James Heappey tells @AndrewMarr9 that the UK needs its own 'Iron Dome' missile defence system.
"Not only can we afford it - but we can't afford not to do it. It shows a Prime Minister who's willing to take some tough choices to do what needs to be done."
Former armed forces minister James Heappey tells @SteveHReports how the government can justify £75bn defence boost.
Should the UK be spending billions more on defence?
Listen to former armed forces minister James Heappey MP on the latest #BBCNewscast...
Important with 🇬🇧 announcing that they will take defence spending towards 2.5% of GDP in the coming years. There will be an election in between, so it’s of course important to hear what the Labour opposition has to say. But the increase strengthens the security of all of Europe.
Rishi Sunak’s best day as PM. Defence of the Realm should always be the Conservative Party’s first and fundamental mission.
Huge announcement. Of course there's an argument for more or sooner but that would be churlish response to biggest uplift in my lifetime. This will transform MOD's finances, allow UK defence industry to confidently scale up, & make our frontline forces more lethal & sustainable.