Crawford’s International Defence Review

Posted byEditorPosted inLt. Col . Stuart Crawford, Uncategorized

August 21, 2026

Cut the cost and complexity of hiring and millions of microbusinesses could become Britain’s growth engine

                 This is an abbreviated article by Liz Barclay – read the full article at Business111.com/news If I had one message for the new Chancellor before the Budget, it would be this: create a proportionate, light-touch tax and employment regime for businesses with fewer than 20 employees. The UK has around 5.6 million small […]
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August 13, 2026

UK tops the G7 as spending and investment rise, but the recovery remains fragile

                 This is an abbreviated article by Liz Barclay – read the full article at Business111.com/news Britain’s economy has finally delivered some good news. Growth is up, we’re leading the G7, consumers are spending and businesses are investing. But before anyone cracks open the champagne, small businesses are still battling soaring costs and global […]
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August 17, 2026

Retail giant wobbles – now small firms face the fallout

                 This is an abbreviated article by Liz Barclay – read the full article at Business111.com/news The surprise departure of John Lewis boss Peter Ruis has sent ripples through Britain’s retail industry, but thousands of small suppliers may have the most to lose. With the department store warning that trading has become “really tough”, […]
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August 12, 2026

Britain’s business bills explode by 70%

                 This is an abbreviated article by Liz Barclay – read the full article at Business111.com/news Britain’s small businesses aren’t just facing a cost of living crisis – they’re trapped in a cost of doing business crisis. New figures reveal business costs have rocketed by 70 per cent over the past decade, leaving firms […]
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August 13, 2026

Temp jobs boom as bosses halt hiring freeze

                 This is an article by Liz Barclay – read the complete article at https://business111.com/news After nearly two years of bad news, Britain’s jobs market may finally be turning a corner. Temporary hiring is gathering pace, wages are picking up and employers are slowing the relentless cuts to permanent recruitment. It is far from […]
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August 7, 2026

Millions face a two-tax-year nightmare

               This is an article by Liz Barclay – copyright – click here for the full article  https://business111.com/news Bread, milk, vegetables, meat and even biscuits are all heading in one direction: up. Heatwaves, drought and failing harvests are driving prices higher across the world, and Britain is about to feel the effects. As crops fail […]
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August 7, 2026

Last orders for standing at the bar? London’s pubs fight back

                 This is an article by Liz Barclay – copyright https://business111.com/news Few things are more British than standing outside a pub on a warm evening, drink in hand and chatting with friends. But Westminster City Council is considering proposals that would discourage “vertical drinking” and restrict ordering at the bar. Supporters say the move […]
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August 11, 2026

Last orders for standing at the bar? London’s pubs fight back

                 This is an article by Liz Barclay – copyright https://business111.com/news Few things are more British than standing outside a pub on a warm evening, drink in hand and chatting with friends. But Westminster City Council is considering proposals that would discourage “vertical drinking” and restrict ordering at the bar. Supporters say the move […]
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August 10, 2026

London’s start-up crown is slipping as founders eye the exit

                 This is an article by Liz Barclay – copyright https://business111.com/news Britain likes to call itself a world-class destination for entrepreneurs, but many founders are becoming less convinced. New research from The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) suggests that high costs, taxes and weak international promotion are damaging the country’s appeal. Even London, Europe’s leading start-up […]
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August 10, 2026

Box-ticking is out, job-ticking is in as small firms face a new procurement shake-up

                 This is an article by Liz Barclay – copyright https://business111.com/news Small businesses were promised freedom from the endless ESG forms, diversity statements, net zero targets and social value questionnaires that have clogged up public sector contracts for years. Instead, many fear they have simply landed on another square in the great game of […]
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August 9, 2026

Small business owners slash their own pay again

                 This is an article by Liz Barclay – copyright https://business111.com/news Britain’s entrepreneurs are once again cutting their own wages to keep their businesses alive. New figures from Enterprise Nation show that three-quarters of founders now pay themselves less than £20,000 a year. The figures reveal the reality behind the popular image of wealthy […]
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August 6, 2026

Will holidaymakers soon pay more everywhere in the UK?

                 This is an article by Liz Barclay – copyright Go to https://business111.com/news for the complete story Edinburgh’s controversial new visitor levy has reignited the row over tourist taxes. Supporters say visitors should contribute towards local services, while critics argue the charge will drive people away and damage small businesses. With Wales introducing its […]
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August 7, 2026

The invisible emergency choking Britain’s economy

                 This is an article by Liz Barclay – copyright https://business111.com/news We may complain about hosepipe bans and shorter showers, but these inconveniences are merely the visible signs of a much larger crisis. Britain is running short of water, and the consequences for the economy could be enormous. Everything the Government says it wants […]
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August 4, 2026

Pro-business or pro-state? Founders are still waiting for an answer

                 His focus on regional growth, infrastructure, skills and industrial strategy may strengthen the wider economy, but many entrepreneurs wonder where small and micro-businesses fit into the picture. This is an approach shaped by the state rather than by the founder. The Prime Minister deserves credit for promoting investment, apprenticeships and greater economic opportunity […]
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August 7, 2026

The invisible emergency choking Britain’s economy

                 Britain’s growth ambitions are colliding with an uncomfortable truth: you cannot build homes, power artificial intelligence or expand industry if there isn’t enough water. No water, no growth: the crisis ministers don’t want to talk about While politicians argue about taxes, immigration and inflation, another threat is quietly holding back the economy: Britain […]
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August 3, 2026

£200,000 of fuel stolen every day as forecourts face extinction

                 Britain’s independent petrol stations are under siege. Every day, drivers are stealing almost £200,000 worth of petrol and diesel, leaving thousands of small forecourt operators struggling to survive. For family-run garages already battling rising energy costs, higher wages, inflation and fragile supply chains, the losses are becoming impossible to absorb. The consequences could […]
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August 6, 2026

Iran conflict threatens to derail Britain’s recovery

                 Britain’s fragile economic recovery is facing its biggest test in years as the conflict between Iran and the United States continues to cast a shadow over global energy markets. Economists at EY have warned that the future of the British economy could depend on events thousands of miles away in the Strait of […]
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August 6, 2026

Housebuilding slump sparks fears of another 2008-style crash

                 Britain’s housebuilders are facing what industry leaders describe as the toughest conditions since the financial crash of 2008, raising fresh fears for the thousands of small businesses that depend upon the construction sector for their livelihoods. New housing developments have fallen to their lowest levels in more than a decade, major developers are […]
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August 5, 2026

Could co-operatives save Britain’s broken water companies?

                 Britain’s water industry is facing a reckoning. Rivers are running dry, reservoirs are shrinking, pipes are leaking, sewage spills continue to outrage the public and household bills keep rising. Now, some MPs are calling for a radical solution: stripping failing water companies of their shareholder-owned structures and turning them into not-for-profit co-operatives. Supporters […]
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July 31, 2026

Dear DBIST: Britain’s smallest businesses have a message for ministers

                 Britain has a new prime minister, a new government department and, according to millions of small business owners, a fresh opportunity to start getting things right. Emily Whitehead and the team at Simply Club have written an open letter to the newly created Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), setting out […]
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August 1, 2026

Dear DBIST: Britain’s smallest businesses have a message for ministers

                 Britain has a new prime minister, a new government department and, according to millions of small business owners, a fresh opportunity to start getting things right. Emily Whitehead and the team at Simply Club have written an open letter to the newly created Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (DBIST), setting out […]
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August 5, 2026

Businesses back Labour – but they’re still undecided on Burnham

                 Britain’s business leaders appear to like the direction of travel but are still reserving judgment on the man behind the wheel. A new poll suggests that while Labour has established an early lead on the economy, trade, jobs and support for business, many employers remain unconvinced that Andy Burnham is the right person […]
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August 4, 2026

Student housing crisis deepens as rents head towards £300 a week

                 Builders pull back as Britain’s student housing market hits breaking point Britain’s student housing crisis is about to become much worse. The country’s biggest student accommodation provider has warned that soaring construction costs, tougher regulations and falling investment returns are making new developments financially impossible. Developers say they now need rents of more […]
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August 4, 2026

Parents offered £4,500 to back apprenticeships

                 Parents could soon receive up to £4,500 a year if their teenagers take up an apprenticeship under government plans designed to tackle Britain’s worsening skills crisis. Ministers hope the move will end the unfair situation in which some families are financially penalised when young people choose work instead of benefits. For thousands of […]
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August 3, 2026

How Not To Create A Defence Policy

              The defenestration of Sir Keir Starmer as UK Prime Minister and Labour Party leader, the anointing of Andy Burnham as his successor in both positions, and the appointment of the new Cabinet over the past few days has been a bit of a whirlwind. Whether it has been a proper exercise in democracy […]
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August 3, 2026

Three restaurants a day go bust – and our high streets are paying the price

                 Three restaurants are closing their doors every single day, and the consequences are spreading far beyond Britain’s kitchens. Every closure means fewer jobs, fewer customers, less money flowing through local economies and another blow to struggling high streets. Restaurants are more than places to eat. They attract visitors, support dozens of suppliers and […]
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August 3, 2026

The great summer squeeze: why drought could sink thousands of small firms

                 Half of Britain is now officially in drought, and the damage is spreading far beyond parched gardens and shrinking reservoirs. Across the country, small and micro businesses are facing soaring costs, supply shortages, falling customer numbers and impossible choices. Builders are struggling to work safely in extreme heat, cafés and restaurants are paying […]
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August 3, 2026

The Force for Good We Can’t Afford to Lose

                 This article originally appeared in https://elitebusinessmagazine.co.uk/ The next time a politician calls small businesses “the backbone of Britain”, ask them whether they really understand what that means. Small and micro businesses are far more than economic units. They create jobs, train young people, support charities, keep high streets alive and give communities their […]
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August 1, 2026

Ignore neurodiversity… and it could cost your business £45,000

                 Tribunal warning for small firms: ADHD isn’t an excuse to get it wrong Britain’s smallest employers are facing a growing legal risk many still don’t see coming. As diagnoses of ADHD, autism and other neurodivergent conditions continue to rise, employment tribunals are increasingly finding against businesses that fail to make reasonable adjustments for […]
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August 1, 2026

Never mind the degree… feel the pipework! PM bets on trades to fix youth jobs

               Britain’s obsession with sending everyone to university could finally be coming to an end. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has unveiled plans to reshape secondary education so pupils learn the practical skills local employers are crying out for, from engineering and construction to manufacturing and green technology. With around one million young people looking for […]
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Tank CommanderLt Col Stuart Crawford’s latest book Tank Commander (Hardback) is available now

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3 thoughts on “Crawford’s International Defence Review”

  1. The UK hasn`t had an Indepedant Foreign Policy since 1965; when Harold Wilson Refused to send British Troops to Vietnam. We have been America`s Poodle ever since. We have sent British Troops to Fight in America`s Oil Wars ever since. Now, we are helping America`s Military and Financial efforts to Humble Russia and China. We are leading NATO`s Puppets to Start a War Based on the Ukraine to Enrich the US “Merchants of Death”.

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  2. Pingback: Crawford’s International Defence Review w/c 22nd August 2022 – peoplematter.tv
  3. Pingback: CIDR – Nuclear Scaremongering – peoplematter.tv

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