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White Flag?: An Examination of the UK's Defence Capability
Britain is at a crossroads, defence spending no longer a public priority. Both Brexit and Trump raise difficult questions over the future of her most important alliances. As it leaves the EU, the country faces a great challenge, but also the opportunity to forge a new identity in the world. Has the UK run up the white flag?
400 pages, Hardcover
Published April 2, 2019
14 people are currently reading
53 people want to read
About the author
Michael Ashcroft
41 books13 followersMichael Anthony P. Ashcroft, Baron Ashcroft, KCMG, PC is an English–Belizean businessman and politician. He is a former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party. Ashcroft founded Michael A. Ashcroft Associates in 1972 and is the 95th richest person in the UK, as ranked by the Sunday Times Rich List 2017, with an estimated fortune of £1.35 billion.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 5, 2021
This should be required reading for anybody in the UK government.
The book provides an honest review of the strengths and — more importantly — the weaknesses of our military situation, as well as a look at the threats from other potentially hostile actors.
Sweeping from the conventional (army, navy, etc) to the novel (cyber, psychological), the authors ask whether we have the ability to cash the cheques we write with our assumptions about our place in the world.
The conclusion? We've fallen away significantly in the last 11 years, to the point where the army's ability to field a single division is now in doubt.
A worrying warning to us all.
The book provides an honest review of the strengths and — more importantly — the weaknesses of our military situation, as well as a look at the threats from other potentially hostile actors.
Sweeping from the conventional (army, navy, etc) to the novel (cyber, psychological), the authors ask whether we have the ability to cash the cheques we write with our assumptions about our place in the world.
The conclusion? We've fallen away significantly in the last 11 years, to the point where the army's ability to field a single division is now in doubt.
A worrying warning to us all.
January 4, 2021
Loved this! A really in depth look at what is coming on the horizon for the British Army.
January 6, 2019
A matter-of-fact account of UK defence capability as it stands today affected by political decision making of the past and how we must respond to the plethora of multi-layered threats of tomorrow.
Extremely well researched, White Flag? uses data from its own surveys and is full of first hand accounts from high level officers of the civil service, government and armed forces to create an understanding of the current state of defence and what the country must do in order to achieve its defence and security goals of the future.
Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in understanding the organisations that ensure the safety of the UK and our allies and what we require to be able to achieve it. Defence is increasingly asked to do more with less. This cannot be sustained indefinitely.
Sidenote: unfortunately there are a few spelling errors in this version. Nothing horrendous but slightly off-putting to the reader.
Extremely well researched, White Flag? uses data from its own surveys and is full of first hand accounts from high level officers of the civil service, government and armed forces to create an understanding of the current state of defence and what the country must do in order to achieve its defence and security goals of the future.
Highly recommended to anyone with an interest in understanding the organisations that ensure the safety of the UK and our allies and what we require to be able to achieve it. Defence is increasingly asked to do more with less. This cannot be sustained indefinitely.
Sidenote: unfortunately there are a few spelling errors in this version. Nothing horrendous but slightly off-putting to the reader.
December 4, 2018
A hard look at the struggles the United Kingdom has in forecasting defense requirements, balancing the promises of MPs, and commitments to military alliances. The UK desires a leading role in the world with a military capability to match, but the complications of a shrinking defense budget, evolving role within NATO, Brexit, and a complicated security picture within Europe have pulled the defense establishment from its moorings. A useful read for an America that can take for granted the challenges a country with a smaller economy and smaller military contends with.
January 12, 2021
A really decent look at defence capability going into 2020. Worth a read for any interested party.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews