War and state power

Why defence spending arguments should start with capability, waste, procurement, and accountability before demanding more public money.

The government is using urgent defence language, but the public still has not seen the detailed plan showing what will be funded, delayed, cut, or paid to private contractors.

The Iran and Hormuz story is no longer only about war, oil and diplomacy. It is now moving through UK shops, bills, raw materials and household pressure.

The Ukraine war is not only about minerals. But the minerals show what control of Ukraine could mean: land, ports, energy, industry, reconstruction money and future strategic supply chains.

A possible US-Iran deal should be watched as a power story: war talk becomes negotiation when oil routes, markets, shipping, allies, domestic politics and military limits start applying pressure.