Crawford’s International Defence Review

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March 23, 2026

One in five entrepreneurs ready to quit UK

               Nearly 9 in 10 entrepreneurs think the Government doesn’t understand their needs and a fifth of them want to leave the UK in the next 12 months. How bad does it have to get before the policy makers listen? The Entrepreneurs Network (TEN) has published the third edition of their Entrepreneurs Survey. The findings […]
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March 24, 2026

Britain’s £250bn youth time bomb

               High youth unemployment is hitting the headlines and it’s not just a short‑term labour‑market issue. It is a strategic economic threat that will shape the UK’s productivity, fiscal health, and competitiveness for decades. Even at conservative estimates, unless the number out of work drops, this could cost the UK more than a quarter of […]
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March 24, 2026

Tough new measures to tackle late payments

               Small suppliers, long beleaguered by overdue invoice payments and long payment terms in their contracts with customers are waking up this morning to an announcement that Government is to put an end to the practice. The Press Release from Government is available to read below. It basically says that suppliers will be paid in […]
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March 30, 2026

Families and shops crushed by rising costs

                 Which? says businesses should be doing everything they can to help their customers. According to research from the consumer association half of households are struggling to afford essentials and dipping into saving to pay for everyday items. The war in the middle east has pushed up the price of oil, gas, crop fertiliser […]
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April 1, 2026

Minimum wage crackdown starts today

               T The latest minimum wage rates kick in today (1st April 2026). 389 employers were fined last year for failing to comply with the minimum wage rules. They were operating across retail, hospitality, care, travel, manufacturing, and high‑street brands. In total they had to pay back £7.3 million to 60,000 workers and were fined […]
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April 11, 2026

Iran trapped by its own minefield

              Iran has mined the Strait of Hormuz and, crucially, no longer knows where all the mines are. That is not a minor detail in a distant conflict but the central fact shaping one of the most dangerous choke points in the global economy today, with direct consequences for Britain. However, congestion is not […]
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May 1, 2026

Successful missile interception test

            Copyright and all rights reserved – .gov.uk As Defence Minister visits region The UK military and Gulf partners will be better protected against drone attacks following the successful testing of new British-built Skyhammer interceptor missiles and launchers in Jordan. From: Ministry of Defence and Luke Pollard MP New Skyhammer interceptor missiles and launchers, produced by UK start-up Cambridge Aerospace, successfully tested in Jordan. Designed to counter […]
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April 21, 2026

Hormuz defence talks led by UK-France

              Scottish Labour politician Graeme Downie MP has set a hare running in the continuing debate on how the UK can raise its defence budget to a realistic level. In an article published last week in ‘The House’ – “a weekly, non-partisan political publication considered the official magazine of the UK Parliament” – Downie […]
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April 29, 2026

Hormuz defence talks led by UK-France

            Military planners from over 30 nations met on Wednesday 22 April to advance detailed planning to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in a two-day UK-hosted conference. UK and France convene military planners to advance multinational mission to re-open the Strait of Hormuz. Over 30 nations expected to attend the conference at UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters in North London. Military planners will turn diplomatic consensus into a detailed […]
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May 7, 2026

Why national service won’t work

              Scott Galloway, the London-based multimillionaire author and podcaster, has said in the Daily Telegraph that ‘Britain must implement mandatory national service to save its lost young men’. In a wide-ranging interview, he suggests that one of the reasons Israel has one of the lowest levels of young adult depression in the world may […]
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May 8, 2026

Iran conflict spirals dangerously

              The uneasy ceasefire between Iran and the US/Israeli/Gulf States ‘combined force’ looks unlikely to last for very much longer. The focus of the renewed tension is, of course, the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, or more accurately the right of international shipping to pass through it. Iran, in the form of the […]
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May 11, 2026

Allies meet on Hormuz

            Copyright and all rights reserved – .gov.uk   …. as British Warship to pre-position in the region UK and France to host first meeting of Defence Ministers to advance the Strait of Hormuz multinational mission. This comes as HMS Dragon, one of the UK’s most capable warships, will forward deploy to the region. From: Ministry […]
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May 13, 2026

HMS Spey marks UK-PH ties

            Copyright and all rights reserved – .gov.uk UK Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel HMS Spey recently concluded a three-day port visit to Manila, marking a significant moment in the UK-Philippines relations. From: British Embassy Manila Published 13 May 2026 Crew of HMS Spey wave to the Philippine Navy during a passage exercise (PASSEX) as the […]
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May 14, 2026

Conflict Trump cannot contain

              A month into the US/Iran ceasefire in the Middle East, and it’s beginning to look as if it’s on its last legs. Donald Trump has said that the temporary cessation of hostilities is “on massive life support”, adding that the present arrangement was “unbelievably weak”. The outlook was much more optimistic when the […]
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April 23, 2026

Special art exhibition in Shepperton this May 2026

             Diana Moran, best known as TV’s “Green Goddess”, will host a special art exhibition in Shepperton this May — offering the community a chance to say goodbye before she leaves the area. The exhibition will feature a wide range of Moran’s paintings, including landscapes, seascapes, animals, birds and still life, created in oil, acrylic […]
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April 1, 2026

Sack staff and risk six figures as new laws hit small firms

               T Small and micro‑business employers need to prepare for the new unfair dismissal landscape once the Employment Rights Act 2025 reforms come into force. In Summary From 1 January 2027, major reforms to UK employment law will significantly increase the risk and cost exposure for small and micro‑business employers. The most important change is […]
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March 30, 2026

UK commits £100 million air defence package for Ukraine

            Copyright and all rights reserved – .gov.uk …. to protect cities and critical infrastructure The UK will urgently commit an additional £100 million for air defence support to Ukraine, helping to defend the country from Russia’s relentless attacks. From: Ministry of Defence, Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street, The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC MP and The Rt Hon John Healey MP New funding brings the total […]
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March 29, 2026

RAF Crews Become World’s First Drone Aces

            Copyright and all rights reserved – .gov.uk RAF personnel become first ever drone ‘aces’ during operations in the Middle East Crack gunners from the RAF Regiment have become ‘aces’ for the first time, having blasted Iranian drones out of the sky during operations in the Middle East, protecting British interests, partners, and personnel in […]
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March 25, 2026

Progress is being made… but we’re not done yet.

                                            Lt Col Stuart Crawford is a defence analyst and former army officer. Sign up for his podcasts and newsletters at www.DefenceReview.uk    Loading… Lt Col Stuart Crawford’s latest book Tank Commander (Hardback) is available now http://www.DefenceReview.UK @peoplemattertv @509298
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March 19, 2026

HOLD OR HIKE? Small Firms Left Hanging as Energy Crisis Derails Rate Cut Hopes

               The Bank of England is ruminating on interest rates and is expected to announce around midday that rates will stay at their current rate 3.75% Last month there was an expectation that this time round, given inflation is creeping down slowly, rates would be cut to encourage growth. However, the Middle East crisis has […]
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March 18, 2026

Secretary of State for Defence and Irish Minister for Defence Helen McEntee sign refreshed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.

            Updated MoU will focus on enhanced maritime cooperation, cyber defence, air domain information sharing, and increased joint procurement. Comes as the Prime Minister meets Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Cork for the UK-Ireland Leaders’ Summit. The UK and Ireland will be better protected against common threats as the two nations sign a refreshed Memorandum of […]
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March 16, 2026

High Street Jewellers Facing Slow-Motion Extinction

               Britain’s traditional jewellers — long the glittering anchors of our high streets — are quietly disappearing as rising costs, falling footfall and online competition squeeze the small craft businesses that have served communities for generations.Jewellers in the UK are the jewel in the crown of the high streets yet they’re facing a quiet crisis […]
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March 15, 2026

Retail Chiefs Warn April Reforms Risk Wiping Out Flexible Student Jobs

               Britain could be sleepwalking into a youth jobs crisis just as new employment reforms take effect, with retailers warning that rules designed to protect workers may end up pricing thousands of young people out of the workplace. It’s not just Business111.com that’s concerned. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has called on the government to […]
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March 9, 2026

Britain’s Defences Exposed as Crises Mount Abroad

              Britain’s defence policy is facing one of the fiercest backlashes in decades as wars in Ukraine and the Middle East expose the limits of the country’s shrinking armed forces. After years of cuts following the Cold War “peace dividend”, critics say the UK now struggles to deploy ships, aircraft and troops quickly enough […]
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March 6, 2026

Fuel, Fertiliser and Fear: Small Firms Brace for Price Storm

               The warning lights for Britain’s small businesses are beginning to flash. Conflict in the Middle East is already pushing up fuel prices, threatening fertiliser supplies and setting off a chain reaction that could ripple from farms to restaurant tables and high streets. A single shipping route — the Strait of Hormuz — carries a […]
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March 6, 2026

Now’s not the time to refuse to take cash: don’t give consumers a reason not to shop with you.

               High Street shops are increasingly accepting only card or phone payments, taking security, costs and the way customers are behaving into account. This comes from research among small businesses by Link which runs the UK’s biggest cash machine network. About three quarters of the businesses asked still accept cash but of the other quarter […]
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March 5, 2026

UK Minister Visits Manila for 80th Year of Bilateral Ties

            Copyright and all rights reserved – .gov.uk UK Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra visited Manila to deepen cooperation, marking 80 years of ties and advancing work on security, growth and climate. From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Seema Malhotra MP Published 5 March 2026 Manila – UK Minister for the Indo-Pacific Seema Malhotra visited Manila to deepen UK-Philippines cooperation. This comes as the two countries […]
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March 4, 2026

Precision at pace enables safer military airdrops

            Copyright and all rights reserved – .gov.uk ACE developed a data gathering and analysis proof of concept for more accurate air drops that lays the groundwork for predictive modelling. From: Accelerated Capability Environment Published 3 March 2026 Impact: A secure data capture and analysis proof of concept for more accurate air drops that lays […]
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March 3, 2026

Ditch the business cards — networking as we know it is dying

            While ministers hail G7-leading growth, fresh small business data shows slowing sales, cautious hiring and mounting pressure on retail and hospitality margins. What’s really going on in the small business economy? Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash While the Chancellor applauded the UK’s growth in the Spring Statement today, as the fastest in the […]
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March 16, 2026

Ditch the business cards — networking as we know it is dying

            Traditional networking events may still fill diaries, but growing evidence suggests that authentic, relationship-driven connections — not transactional handshakes — are what truly unlock long-term business opportunity.If you’re a dedicated fan of networking and have already taken Umbridge at the title, I don’t blame you. If you go out of your way to network […]
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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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