The Iran war has humiliated the British military

Managed decline has become the rule within our armed forces

By Edward Stringer
Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

Whether its ships stranded in home ports or drones striking undefended bases, the war on Iran has forced many problems with the UK’s armed forces to the surface, where Presidents Trump and Macron are illuminating them with a spotlight of glee. It didn’t have to be like that, but perhaps it is better that these stark flaws are being made salient now and not in a more existential crisis. The run-down armed forces are not Starmer’s fault but the inevitable product of decades of managed decline. In this period, commanding our armed forces has become less important than disguising their hollow reality. And if there is a salutary response to this conflict, it is the opportunity confront this creeping failure – and reverse it if we can.