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What would Nelson say?

By Simon McGrath | Tue 21st October 2025 - 11:17 am

Embed from Getty ImagesToday is Trafalgar Day – the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar

When I attend meetings in the Council Chamber in Merton, it’s impossible to ignore the Borough’s most famous inhabitant: a huge picture of Admiral Lord Nelson looks down on the assembled Councillors.

Today is the 220th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, which cemented Britain’s naval supremacy. I wonder what Nelson would make of the Royal Navy today, which cannot properly defend us. The core problem traces back to Tony Blair’s expeditionary foreign policy and its emphasis on distant wars. To support this, his government commissioned two large aircraft carriers designed for offshore bombardment and troop support.

In principle, that’s fine. Unfortunately, the focus on these two large ships means the Royal Navy cannot reliably carry out its most basic task: keeping our sea lanes open to receive vital supplies. 95% of our trade is carried by sea, including 66% of our gas supply. The risk isn’t just cargo ships being sunk; we also rely on pipelines from Norway, cross-channel power cables, and the huge web of critical undersea communications cables.