The IPPR published a report yesterday which argued that the UK should recalibrate its approach to national security issues following the election of the American President Elect Barack Obama.
It observed the point which frankly is pretty obvious, that poverty and climate change should be considered in depth when formulating foreign policy because of their potentially dire ramifications for the global economy, global security and consequently British national security.
All very true, but surely the headline argument is little more than a reminder to an informed Government that already shares this basic understanding of the threats facing Britain in the coming years?
Not necessarily. Lots of signals lead us to a rather more worrying conclusion but here's one:
Dig through the uncorrected evidence before the Lords Economic Affairs Committee earlier this year from the then Energy Minister, now energy representative to the Prime Minister, Malcolm Wicks, and you come across gems like this:
“I should say to this Committee that I worry greatly about climate change and global warming, although I think, with one or two exceptions, we are winning the argument on that one - but I worry more about energy security and national security.”
Yep, a big imaginary dichotomy. If it persists in the thinking of the worlds Governments we may ruin our planet and risk our security.
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