Best of the Spectator The Edition: Britain is not ready for war – and Labour isn’t doing enough
Feb 20, 2026
Lucy Fisher, Whitehall editor at the Financial Times, explains defence funding shortfalls. Rupert Hawksley, Opinion editor at The Spectator, exposes rising organised rural crime. Matthew Parris, columnist and former politician, muses on political scandal and conspiracy culture. They debate Britain’s military readiness, recruitment and national service, balancing autonomous systems with personnel, and public appetite for higher defence spending.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Use National Service To Boost Recruitment
- Consider introducing national service to address recruitment shortfalls and build capacity.
- Rupert Hawksley supports national service and cites examples like the Netherlands and Poland.
Collective Procurement Cuts Costs
- European defence procurement is fragmented, raising costs and duplication across countries.
- Lucy Fisher sees multilateral procurement and integration as a way to reduce costs and fill capability gaps.
Personal Visits Don’t Equal Complicity
- Matthew Parris recalls visiting friends in prison and argues knowing someone isn't automatic complicity.
- He warns against expanding guilt by tenuous association in the Mandelson-Epstein fallout.