The Middle East is once again tilting toward open confrontation. In the wake of the G7’s failure to present a coherent position, the United States now edges closer to direct involvement in Iran. What started as firm language in the joint communiqué has now hardened into something more: aircraft carriers on the move, airspace warnings…

This morning’s headlines confirm what many of us suspected: Britain is moving Typhoon jets and Voyager refuelling aircraft into the Middle East. RAF Akrotiri is once again a hub of activity, as we position standby forces given the ongoing situation between Israel and Iran. On paper, this is not an escalation – it’s just precautionary.…

The G7 should have been an opportunity to show Western resolve. Instead, it became a show of confusion, contradictions and missed chances. As leaders gathered in Canada amid the deepening crisis between Israel and Iran, unity was tested and exposed, in some cases, as little more than stagecraft. President Trump, never one to resist a…

Devolution has become something of a political buzzword but one too often devoid of the seriousness it deserves. Done badly, it becomes just another layer of government. Done well, it can reconnect people with decision making in a way that makes democracy meaningful again. Here in Essex, at the moment, we have a real opportunity…

Why the UK Must Lead Quietly as France’s Star Fades in the Middle East In the great diplomatic three dimensional chessboard of the Middle East, influence is not measured solely by embassies or summits – it’s measured by who picks up the phone and who picks up the bill; and in the case of Egypt,…