In 1939 the many nations of the British Empire and the Commonwealth Realms gathered together in an array of hues and backgrounds to protect the world from tyranny and fascism. In 1945, the multi-racial army, consisting of members from across 5 continents, successfully overcame the forces of darkness and declared victory over one of the world's most brutal forces Nazism and Fascism. In those days it was understood that the Commonwealth Realms and the British Empire were connected in defence and security. There were posters that depicted the multi-racial and trans-global nature of the then, British Commonwealth and called upon the many citizens of the empire to stand and fight for the values that we today hold so dear. Soldiers from India and the West-Indies and Africa and beyond fought side by side with the people of the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. Long before Obama spoke of post-racial politics, Britain was already putting together a multi-racial force that could defend the world. Without the international community of the Commonwealth Realms and the British Empire, the United Kingdom would not have been able to win the battle of its life against a crazed lunatic who dreamed of uniting the disparate people of Europe into a single empire (sound familiar?). If not for the international community it is very likely that today the British population would have been part of the Third Reich and speaking German.
As we reflect on Remembrance Sunday, on all the many soldiers that died on the battlefield in a war that encompassed all of the planet. We must also reflect on the gaping hole that now exist in Geo-politics. The once mighty, multi-racial army of the Commonwealth Realms and the British Empire no longer exists in the capacity that it did before. Many nations that were part of the British Empire and the Commonwealth Realms are now independent nations. Relations between the Commonwealth Realms and the Commonwealth movement have been given less attention in the last 40 years in favour of relations with the EU and Commonwealth Day is rarely mentioned as an important day of celebration across the Commonwealth. Today, the awareness of the Commonwealth and those relationships that were so important to Britain during WWI and WWII are not given much attention by politicians, the media and the public.
Although Queen Elizabeth II is a hugely popular figure in Britain, not much attention is given to her significance beyond being a glamorous, symbolic Head of State. We rarely speak about her as the unifying figure that she is, between Britain and its past and those nations of the Commonwealth that were once part of the British Empire. On Remembrance Sunday, you get a glimpse into the fact that, soldiers from across the Commonwealth still continue to fight in defence of their figurehead Queen Elizabeth II. Thinking about the many soldiers that risked and lost their life in defence of freedom, forces you to have to reconsider how we look at Britain today, to whom it owes its allegiance and whom are its natural allies.
In the short aftermath after much of the British Empire has been dissolved many of the former colonies and the United Kingdom find themselves adrift in a dangerous world. Today, in the light of the brexit vote and comments from US President-Elect Donald Trump, regarding NATO and a turn towards US protectionism and isolationism, we are now wondering where we would turn to provide our own and the world's security if, God forbid, such an occurrence arose.
For some time there has been a desire by Eurocrat's to create a Pan-European EU army. The desire has grown more apparent in the last year or so and earlier this week European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has again spoken about his plans for an EU army in response to the comments of President-Elect Donald Trump on NATO and the importance of EU NATO nations contributing to the running costs of the defence programme. For many brexit voters, knowledge of the formation of an EU army was enough to push them over the edge to vote Leave. Many with memories of Britain's past have been uncomfortable with the idea of an EU army.
In March 2015, not long after European Commission President, Juncker, pronounced an interest in the creation of an EU army to bolster the continent against Russian aggression. Nick Clegg, the then, Deputy Prime Minister branded Juncker, as a "dangerous fantasist", agreeing that an EU army would undermine Britain's military standing in the world. He also made it very clear, that the only two nations in Europe with military clout were Britain and France.
However, surprisingly, today, in response to the recent comments of US President-Elect Donald Trump and now European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, Nick Clegg, now the Liberal Democrat EU spokesman, has come out in support of more security and defence integration between EU nations. Stating that,
"Our whole continents security is based on the idea that "Uncle Sam" through generations of generosity from American taxpayers and American soldiers [will come to our aid]... Europe should get its act together to safeguard our own security"
Just last year, Clegg had dismissed Juncker as a "dangerous fantasist" for his comments on the idea of an EU army. He claimed that it would undermine Britain's standing in the world and that the only two military powers in the EU were Britain and France. Now, today he has changed his mind. I am a Liberal Democrat but I do not believe that Britain should become part of an EU army. I do not believe, that our natural allies are in Europe but in the "New World", where the values of the British Isles have been adopted. The nations where we have had a political relationship, that led to a multi-racial military force, that saved the world from tyranny. Furthermore, if Britain and France are the only two military powers in the EU. It is very likely that Britain will become like the US in NATO and carry much of the burden for the EU army. The rise of a Pan-European army, as Clegg pointed out last year, would be a threat to Britain's military standing in the world.
As a Liberal Democrat, an internationalist and a champion of the "Anglosphere" and the Commonwealth, I consider the Commonwealth states and the US to be our greatest allies. I believe that the Commonwealth Realms and the many nations of the wider Commonwealth with whom we share; language, a political and legal system, a Head of State and with whom we have fought side by side with, under the British Crown, are who we should turn to as our closest allies and with whom we should become defence partners.
Britain still recruits armed forces personnel from across the Commonwealth and Remembrance Sunday shows us the many faces that have fought as part of the British Empire. From Gurkhas, to Sikhs, to West-Indians. Britain's armed forces must remain deeply connected to the Commonwealth Realms and the wider Commonwealth and they should not become intertwined with the EU militarily.
Many of the developing a smaller nations of the Commonwealth Realms and the wider Commonwealth depend on Britain as a protector. None of the Commonwealth nations that have fought side by side with us possess a nuclear deterrent and they are reliant on Britain for their security in the same way that the EU depends on the US military power to protect it. Today, Britain and those across the Commonwealth Realms must build the Commonwealth Free Trade Zone to link the "Anglosphere" nations of the Commonwealth and to provide defence and security for those nations that were once part of the British Empire but are now left adrift in a dangerous world. If the EU must build an EU wide army then let France be the leader in the EU's military and let Britain build upon it's relationship with those that have fought arm in arm under the British Crown in two world wars.
Today, when the US is seeking a more isolationist route, we must build the army of the Commonwealth Free Trade Zone as a defender of Britain and the Commonwealth's self-interest. Britain must not choose to leave the EU but then seek to be part of its army. Britain must not simply look to the US to provide security and defence either, but must improve our military capacity and maintain or perhaps increase military spending to become the partner of our fellow "Anglosphere" nation, the US, in protecting and maintaining peace, stability and the global order.
We must recognise the special relationship between the US as not simply political but a cultural and historical relationship based on language and common heritage. Regardless of race. White Britain's and White America share a deep history. Black America and Black Britain share a deep history. Together, we are people of the "Anglosphere" and not part of the European community. With the transporting of British values to the New World 500 years ago, Britain left the coast of Europe and began a new civilisation in the New World. A civilisation that was birthed by Britain but has now become our tougher, younger cousin and has a President-Elect that has a British name with roots in Scotland.
Today, Britain must look deep into itself and come to terms with it's past and its identity. Britain must heed the words of Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation, in 1953 and consider the people of the many lands and races of the Commonwealth our kith and kin. We must cease the myth of the European community and understand our "Britishness". We must reject the EU army for the Commonwealth army of old, that has served us so well and united the people of many races and lands against evil and tyranny.
We must not let those, such as Nick Clegg, sway the people towards an EU race army that mobilises us as part of Pan-Europeanism against the world. Britain must stand for its liberal, anti-racist values. It must stand for Queen and country and for all that it represents. Britain and the Commonwealth must make a stance as a post-racial entity not concerned with racialised political blocs like the EU. Queen Elizabeth II believed that the Commonwealth Realms and the former colonies of the British Empire were her people in 1953. In 2016, in Queen Elizabeth II's 90th year, as we near the end of the second Elizabethan Age, we must stand for the ideals, values and relationships that were so important to us in 1939 and 1953.
We Britain's, must understand our history and our people. We must know our heritage, we must know the values of our Head of State. We must know what we stand for in the world. We must know and recognise those of many ethnicity's who have contributed to the greatness of this nation across the Commonwealth Realms and the former British Empire. We must reject the idea that Europe is our continent and look to our fellow nations in the New World and across the Commonwealth as partners in security and defence. Britain must reject a partnership of old colonial powers and embrace the past-racial unity of the Commonwealth, now!
God Save the Queen!
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