Battle Lines

Britain's military has seen better days - that much everyone can agree on.

Enter ex-Royal Marine Commando Colonel Alistair Scott Carns, aka Wee Al, the UK's brand new Minister for Armed Forces. Part of the fresh batch of Labour MPs who entered Parliament in 2024, he has risen quickly through the Ministry of Defence and is considered "one to watch".

Carns sat down with The Telegraph's associated defence editor Dominic Nicholls to talk about his plans to get the military into shape, the UK's commitment to Ukraine, and the ongoing Ajax debate.

Plus he shared his views on Reform leader Nigel Farage and the legacy of Stakeknife in Northern Ireland.

As global landmine casualties reach a four-year high, Venetia is joined by Major General James Cowan, former British Army commander in Iraq and Afghanistan and now CEO of The HALO Trust.He lays out why he believes foreign aid and defense are inseparable, how clearing weapons post-conflict shapes global health and security outcomes, and why Britain’s safety begins far beyond its own borders.

From minefields in Ukraine and Syria to unexploded bombs in Gaza, Cowan argues that true security relies not only on military strength, but on the stability created through development and humanitarian action.

Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

Studio Operator: Meghan Searle

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Donald Trump has detonated a political earthquake with a National Security Strategy that doesn’t just tweak America’s global role, it torches seven decades of US foreign policy. In a move that’s left European allies stunned and scrambling, Trump’s new blueprint casts Europe as weak, directionless and on the brink of “civilisational erasure,” while pointedly avoiding calling Russia a threat.

And guess who’s absolutely thrilled? The Kremlin. Vladimir Putin’s spokesman practically applauded the document, hailing it as “largely consistent” with Moscow’s own vision. While EU leaders warn the strategy dangerously rewrites reality and echoes far-right rhetoric, Trump is pushing ahead, embracing “patriotic” parties across Europe and accusing the EU of holding back peace in Ukraine.

It’s a bold, brash, America-First gambit and one that’s left America’s closest allies wondering if Washington has just switched sides. To find out more, Roland talks to former British Ambassador to the United States Kim Darroch. 

Ajax was meant to be the British Army’s modern embodiment of the mighty Greek warrior, strong, unbreakable, unstoppable. Instead, it’s become a national embarrassment. This week the Army suspended the entire fleet after 31 soldiers fell ill inside vehicles that were supposed to protect them. We’re talking tingling hands, ringing ears and troops vomiting on Salisbury Plain.

It’s a £6.3 billion “world-beating” programme that’s been spiralling into chaos for two decades. To make matters worse, a whistleblower claims the manufacturer, General Dynamics, tried to shift the blame onto soldiers which was followed by an astonishing Facebook outburst from a company employee.

With inquiries now launched and Parliament demanding answers, Roland is joined in the studio by The Telegraph’s Dom Nichols and Ben Barry from The International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Nigeria is facing a security crisis. Extremist violence, mass kidnappings and deepening food insecurity has created what the UN has called the country’s worst emergency in a decade.

Recent weeks have seen a spate of high profile abductions, including 300 schoolgirls and teachers from Niger state.

Security officials now fear these pupils could be used as human shields to deter a military intervention being threatened by the United States.

At the same time, aid is being slashed, and extremist groups and criminal gangs have disrupted food supplies, leaving 35 million people projected to face “severe food insecurity” next year.

This week, Arthur and Venetia speak to Chi Lael, Head of Communications for the World Food Programme in Nigeria to get a clearer picture of the crisis.

Plus Global Health Reporter Lilia Sebouai explains how tensions have worsened since she visited the area last year.

Producer: Sophie O'Sullivan

Executive Producer: Louisa Wells

Studio Operator: Meghan Searle

► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditor

Contact us with feedback or ideas:

[email protected] 

@venetiarainey

@ascottgeddes