No one can deny the reality that we live in an increasingly dangerous world.

Russia’s attempted invasion of Ukraine. Israel’s war with Hamas. The dangerous stand off between Iran and Israel. Ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. The Democratic Republic of Congo. And on and on.

With the benefit of hindsight how foolish it now seems for the political scientist Francis Fukuyama to have declared, in an at the time much lauded book in 1992, the ‘end of history.’ The argument that, with the conclusion of the Cold War, Western liberal democracy had won the battle of ideas and beaten autocracy; as he wrote, ‘not just… the passing of a particular period of post-war history, but the end of history as such: That is, the end-point of mankind’s ideological evolution and the universalisation of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.’

If only, eh?

Less than a decade later such a theory began to be tested to distruction with the 9/11 attacks on American power by Islamist terrorists and the subsequent ‘war on terror.’. Two decades on from that, the world, as noted above, whilst not quite in flames is certainly more dangerous and uncertain than since the end of the Cold War if not longer.

It would be all too easy then to think that might is right; that it’s time to massively up defence spending (Trump thinks it should be 5% of GDP) and be, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said, ‘on a war footing.’. Whilst I personally think that that is needlessly alarmist, it’d be a fool who thinks we don’t need to be sure that our national defences are strong.

But I argue that ‘strength’ comes in many forms.

I think it’s the height of stupidity to take from the poorest people in the world, which is what Labour is doing by slashing the overseas aid budget, to splurge on weapons of war. Lib Dems in government, by supporting a Bill by then back bencher Michael Moore, were right to increase overseas aid spending to 0.7% of GDP. To my mind, after the same sex marriage legislation, that was the best thing we did in government. Just think how many lives we saved and changed, in the poorest parts of the world, with that legislation.

The Tories, when in government by themselves after 2015, got rid of the increase and scrapped the Department of International Development (DfID) just to make sure we all got the point, enveloping it into the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Along with many other things we hoped naively that Labour might do when they came in last year was to restore the 0.7% and restore DfID. But, no. DfID is still no more and Labour have actually cut into the overseas aid budget yet further. This really is idiocy as foreign policy.

Lib Dems must call out the clearly false choice between strength in defence and the all important soft power that international aid and things like the truly amazing BBC World Service provides. It’s not either/or. We must do both. War must always be a very last resort in any conflict/situation.

Let’s give peace a chance.

Wealth tax now!

Today World leaders are gathering in Canada for the latest meeting of the G7. To coincide with that Patriotic Millionaires Canada have released a statement calling for a wealth tax on ‘the G7’s centi-millionaires’ which ‘could raise up to $411 billion a year.’, stating:

As the richest seven economies in the world meet in Canada this week, a new report from Patriotic Millionaires Canada shows the vast revenue that could be raised with a tiny tax on the world’s richest people.

The report estimates the revenue that could be raised by Canada and other G7 countries (including the UK), through the introduction of a wealth tax at high thresholds, starting at USD$100million and USD$1billion, and low rates at between 2 and 3 per cent.

Dr Phil White of Patriotic Millionaires UK says,

When we see the devastating power that extreme wealth is wreaking on our world, how can we not make tackling it our number one priority? It is corroding our politics, our democracies, our economies, and our planet. Taxes on the super rich, such as the one outlined in this report, are the bare minimum we should expect from our elected representatives.

G7 leaders need to get their priorities straight and focus on the root of so many global problems. They need to rein in the global chaos delivered on us by unbridled extreme wealth, and tax the super rich.

If even some millionaires are calling for a wealth tax, why aren’t the Lib Dems? A wealth tax isn’t ’left-wing’ it is what is morally right!

Political honours are not worth the paper they’re written on

On Saturday I was a panellist on the Debate Desk segment on Talk.

I always enjoy doing political punditry and arguing the liberal cause on a host of different issues. I like to think it makes use of two parts of my experience, having been a local radio journalist (2004-9) and a Councillor (2011-15, 2019-2023).

One of the stories we talked about this weekend was the recent announcement of the King’s birthday honours. Now, as I said on air, I have no problem with ordinary people (I hate that phrase but you know what I mean) getting rewarded for their good works…though I wish we had some other way of doing it than a system all tied up with Empire and the unelected Royal family… but I am wholly against political honours.

As a politician the honour is in being elected and serving your constituents/residents. Indeed, it is the highest honour.

We really don’t need ‘Sir Nick,’ ‘Dame Andrea,’ ‘Sir Keir’ or indeed ‘Sir Ed.’ – it cheapens the whole idea of honours.

Well that’s my chances of a gong gone for a burton. Hahaha.

* Mathew Hulbert is a former Councillor, is a regular commentator on TV and Radio, and is Co-Host of the Political Frenemies podcast.