Robert Courts KC
@robertcourts.bsky.social
Formerly Minister for Aviation, Maritime & Security (DfT), Chair of Defence Select Committee, Solicitor-General for England & Wales.
A year ago I warned that if bills rose & industry lost, politics would shift. Now the Tony Blair Institute calls for energy strategy built around abundant, affordable power. The direction is clear. The question now is how politics & business prepare.
Report: zurl.co/aQTD2
My piece: zurl.co/kiu6D
Report: zurl.co/aQTD2
My piece: zurl.co/kiu6D
Reset the UK's energy strategy to focus on affordable power.
UK energy policy is on the wrong course. Government must move from clean-power targets to cheaper power.
institute.global
February 13, 2026 at 6:29 PM
A year ago I warned that if bills rose & industry lost, politics would shift. Now the Tony Blair Institute calls for energy strategy built around abundant, affordable power. The direction is clear. The question now is how politics & business prepare.
Report: zurl.co/aQTD2
My piece: zurl.co/kiu6D
Report: zurl.co/aQTD2
My piece: zurl.co/kiu6D
Joint procurement makes sense. Fewer platforms, common specs, bigger runs.
But we can’t shape Europe’s buying club while not funding our own defence properly. SAFE isn’t “cheap money” either: the content rules matter.
So yes: cooperate. But show us the money. Show us the terms.
zurl.co/qmtn8
But we can’t shape Europe’s buying club while not funding our own defence properly. SAFE isn’t “cheap money” either: the content rules matter.
So yes: cooperate. But show us the money. Show us the terms.
zurl.co/qmtn8
Keir Starmer set to call for multinational defence initiative to cut rearmament costs
UK prime minister expected to push idea of enhanced co-operation at Munich Security Conference
zurl.co
February 13, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Joint procurement makes sense. Fewer platforms, common specs, bigger runs.
But we can’t shape Europe’s buying club while not funding our own defence properly. SAFE isn’t “cheap money” either: the content rules matter.
So yes: cooperate. But show us the money. Show us the terms.
zurl.co/qmtn8
But we can’t shape Europe’s buying club while not funding our own defence properly. SAFE isn’t “cheap money” either: the content rules matter.
So yes: cooperate. But show us the money. Show us the terms.
zurl.co/qmtn8
NATO is vital, but it isn’t a charity. These former US envoys are right: the Alliance strengthens American power and saves US money. But Washington is right to demand Europe steps up. Alliances are partnerships, not philanthropy. Will Europe match words with capability?
zurl.co/VykTE
zurl.co/VykTE
Former US envoys say Nato not a ‘charity’ but vital for security
Sixteen former ambassadors and military chiefs warn Trump that weakening Nato would raise US costs, increase conflict risk and erode America’s global influence
zurl.co
February 13, 2026 at 2:37 PM
NATO is vital, but it isn’t a charity. These former US envoys are right: the Alliance strengthens American power and saves US money. But Washington is right to demand Europe steps up. Alliances are partnerships, not philanthropy. Will Europe match words with capability?
zurl.co/VykTE
zurl.co/VykTE
Russia spent roughly half its state budget on the military in 2025, German intelligence says.
Same day: reports Russia is intercepting key European satellites.
That is what “long war” looks like while we talk.
zurl.co/xEIqg
Same day: reports Russia is intercepting key European satellites.
That is what “long war” looks like while we talk.
zurl.co/xEIqg
February 7, 2026 at 4:06 PM
Russia spent roughly half its state budget on the military in 2025, German intelligence says.
Same day: reports Russia is intercepting key European satellites.
That is what “long war” looks like while we talk.
zurl.co/xEIqg
Same day: reports Russia is intercepting key European satellites.
That is what “long war” looks like while we talk.
zurl.co/xEIqg
Another morning, another reminder of the strategic geopolitics at stake as the PM lands in China with NATO reporting suggesting ~80% of Russia’s gains in Ukraine are now attributed to drones supplied, enabled or sustained via China.
zurl.co/MzRT1
zurl.co/MzRT1
January 28, 2026 at 10:21 AM
Another morning, another reminder of the strategic geopolitics at stake as the PM lands in China with NATO reporting suggesting ~80% of Russia’s gains in Ukraine are now attributed to drones supplied, enabled or sustained via China.
zurl.co/MzRT1
zurl.co/MzRT1
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, 81 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
We remember the 6 million Jewish men, women & children murdered by the Nazis. As survivors grow fewer - and antisemitism rises again - remembrance is a duty for us all.
#HolocaustMemorialDay
zurl.co/Mtgcd
We remember the 6 million Jewish men, women & children murdered by the Nazis. As survivors grow fewer - and antisemitism rises again - remembrance is a duty for us all.
#HolocaustMemorialDay
zurl.co/Mtgcd
January 27, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, 81 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
We remember the 6 million Jewish men, women & children murdered by the Nazis. As survivors grow fewer - and antisemitism rises again - remembrance is a duty for us all.
#HolocaustMemorialDay
zurl.co/Mtgcd
We remember the 6 million Jewish men, women & children murdered by the Nazis. As survivors grow fewer - and antisemitism rises again - remembrance is a duty for us all.
#HolocaustMemorialDay
zurl.co/Mtgcd
Trial by jury is an ancient English liberty, not a luxury. Lammy and Starmer want to rip it out to clear a backlog. Rather than get a grip of runaway government spending, especially on welfare.
www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...
www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...
Jury trials to be scrapped except for alleged rapists and killers
David Lammy is proposing that judges hear cases alone for crimes that could result in a sentence of up to five years to tackle court backlog
www.thetimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Trial by jury is an ancient English liberty, not a luxury. Lammy and Starmer want to rip it out to clear a backlog. Rather than get a grip of runaway government spending, especially on welfare.
www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...
www.thetimes.com/uk/law/artic...
Sir Michael Ellis is right: antisemitism is seeping into the NHS, BBC, universities and councils. When institutions stop protecting Jews, we are all at risk. Accountability, not warm words. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11...
Access Restricted
www.telegraph.co.uk
November 23, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Sir Michael Ellis is right: antisemitism is seeping into the NHS, BBC, universities and councils. When institutions stop protecting Jews, we are all at risk. Accountability, not warm words. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/11...
New Defence Committee report is blunt: Britain is not meeting its NATO Article 3 duty and readiness is “glacial”. MPs want a Defence Readiness Bill and a Home Defence timetable. zurl.co/nU0TW
The UK contribution to European Security
Report of the Defence Committee
zurl.co
November 19, 2025 at 9:17 AM
New Defence Committee report is blunt: Britain is not meeting its NATO Article 3 duty and readiness is “glacial”. MPs want a Defence Readiness Bill and a Home Defence timetable. zurl.co/nU0TW
Proud to see Voyager at the heart of NATO operations — fuelling RAF Typhoons over Eastern Europe and proving how partnership delivers reach, readiness & reassurance.
www.forcesnews.com/services/raf...
www.forcesnews.com/services/raf...
Fuelling up to face the threat: How Voyager keeps the RAF's Typhoons on station
BFBS Forces News reporter Simon Newton boards a Voyager refuelling aircraft on the operation that's Nato's answer to airborne threats
www.forcesnews.com
October 18, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Proud to see Voyager at the heart of NATO operations — fuelling RAF Typhoons over Eastern Europe and proving how partnership delivers reach, readiness & reassurance.
www.forcesnews.com/services/raf...
www.forcesnews.com/services/raf...
The last of the brightest lights has gone.
Flt Lt John Cruickshank VC, 105, final surviving WWII VC recipient, has died. Wounded 72 times, he sank U-347 & brought his crew home. A life of courage & duty.
zurl.co/Ux9Hl
Flt Lt John Cruickshank VC, 105, final surviving WWII VC recipient, has died. Wounded 72 times, he sank U-347 & brought his crew home. A life of courage & duty.
zurl.co/Ux9Hl
Access Denied
zurl.co
August 16, 2025 at 1:22 PM
The last of the brightest lights has gone.
Flt Lt John Cruickshank VC, 105, final surviving WWII VC recipient, has died. Wounded 72 times, he sank U-347 & brought his crew home. A life of courage & duty.
zurl.co/Ux9Hl
Flt Lt John Cruickshank VC, 105, final surviving WWII VC recipient, has died. Wounded 72 times, he sank U-347 & brought his crew home. A life of courage & duty.
zurl.co/Ux9Hl
VJ Day 80. WW2’s end & a proving ground for expeditionary air power. From Hurricanes over Imphal to Dakota jungle drops, RAF crews helped end history’s bloodiest war. Let’s give this anniversary its due. #VJDay #VJDay80
🔗 www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles...
🔗 www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles...
VJ Day 80 Lives Remembered Part 1
While many in the Armed Forces in Europe saw victory in May 1945, there were thousands still engaged in fighting on the other side of the world in the Far East. For them, the war ended on 15 August 1945.
www.raf.mod.uk
August 15, 2025 at 7:27 AM
VJ Day 80. WW2’s end & a proving ground for expeditionary air power. From Hurricanes over Imphal to Dakota jungle drops, RAF crews helped end history’s bloodiest war. Let’s give this anniversary its due. #VJDay #VJDay80
🔗 www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles...
🔗 www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles...
RN needs mass as well as capability. As Maritime Minister, I pushed early MASS regulation so the UK could lead in maritime autonomy. Now’s the time to buy & deploy at pace — not wait for perfect plans.
zurl.co/ZamLa
zurl.co/ZamLa
Access Denied
zurl.co
August 5, 2025 at 3:58 PM
RN needs mass as well as capability. As Maritime Minister, I pushed early MASS regulation so the UK could lead in maritime autonomy. Now’s the time to buy & deploy at pace — not wait for perfect plans.
zurl.co/ZamLa
zurl.co/ZamLa
China’s grip on 90% of rare earths is strangling US defence supply chains. Fighter jets to drones now face delays and costs up 60×. Pentagon scrambles with $400m mine boost but no quick fix. UK should take note. zurl.co/TEOzp
Access Denied
zurl.co
August 5, 2025 at 10:41 AM
China’s grip on 90% of rare earths is strangling US defence supply chains. Fighter jets to drones now face delays and costs up 60×. Pentagon scrambles with $400m mine boost but no quick fix. UK should take note. zurl.co/TEOzp
South Korea just froze its $3.5bn Apache deal—slashing funding by 97%. Unmanned systems are now in the frame.
Another step toward the end of manned attack helicopters?
breakingdefense.com/2025/07/...
Another step toward the end of manned attack helicopters?
breakingdefense.com/2025/07/...
South Korea puts brakes on follow-on Apache acquisition: Reports
Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said that funding for the program to acquire of 36 Apaches has been cut from 10 billion won ($7.29 million) to just 300 million won, according to local media.
breakingdefense.com
July 12, 2025 at 11:03 AM
South Korea just froze its $3.5bn Apache deal—slashing funding by 97%. Unmanned systems are now in the frame.
Another step toward the end of manned attack helicopters?
breakingdefense.com/2025/07/...
Another step toward the end of manned attack helicopters?
breakingdefense.com/2025/07/...
Another graphic Houthi strike on a Greek bulker (Eternity C) in the Red Sea—this threat isn’t going away. No ship is truly safe. Still pretending this is temporary? shippingtelegraph.com/shippi...
U.S. Embassy Yemen says Houthis kidnapped many surviving Eternity C crew members | Shipping reports | Shipping Telegraph
Yemen’s Houthis took responsibility of the attack on the Greek-managed bulker Eternity C in the southern Red Sea, the second ship attacked
shippingtelegraph.com
July 11, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Another graphic Houthi strike on a Greek bulker (Eternity C) in the Red Sea—this threat isn’t going away. No ship is truly safe. Still pretending this is temporary? shippingtelegraph.com/shippi...
🚨 Maritime piracy surged 50% in H1 2025. Armed attacks rising in West Africa, Singapore Strait & S. America. 100 seafarers held hostage/threatened. Trouble brewing at sea again: shippingtelegraph.com/piracy...
Piracy and armed robbery attacks up 50% in first half of 2025 | Piracy news | Shipping Telegraph
A total of 90 cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships were recorded in the first half of 2025, a 50% increase compared to
shippingtelegraph.com
July 11, 2025 at 7:43 AM
🚨 Maritime piracy surged 50% in H1 2025. Armed attacks rising in West Africa, Singapore Strait & S. America. 100 seafarers held hostage/threatened. Trouble brewing at sea again: shippingtelegraph.com/piracy...
Hermer’s new guidance turns legal advice into legal veto.
Ministers can be reported for pressing ahead without a “tenable” argument.
International law elevated over Parliament.
It’s not rule of law—it’s rule of lawyers.
🔗 www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
Ministers can be reported for pressing ahead without a “tenable” argument.
International law elevated over Parliament.
It’s not rule of law—it’s rule of lawyers.
🔗 www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
Lord Hermer gives himself ‘veto’ over government policy
Documents reveal extent of Attorney General’s ‘power grab’
www.telegraph.co.uk
July 10, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Hermer’s new guidance turns legal advice into legal veto.
Ministers can be reported for pressing ahead without a “tenable” argument.
International law elevated over Parliament.
It’s not rule of law—it’s rule of lawyers.
🔗 www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
Ministers can be reported for pressing ahead without a “tenable” argument.
International law elevated over Parliament.
It’s not rule of law—it’s rule of lawyers.
🔗 www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202...
Banks are “de-banking” UK defence firms: 73 % can’t even open an account, says ADS.
How do we fund rearmament if finance shuts the door? 👀
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
How do we fund rearmament if finance shuts the door? 👀
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
‘Banks would rather have an account with a local car wash than the defence industry’
Financial roadblocks are forcing the UK’s military tech pioneers to risk insolvency – just as demand for advanced defence rises
www.telegraph.co.uk
June 26, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Banks are “de-banking” UK defence firms: 73 % can’t even open an account, says ADS.
How do we fund rearmament if finance shuts the door? 👀
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
How do we fund rearmament if finance shuts the door? 👀
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
When MPs say ‘this is Parliament at its best’, beware. It means nobody disagreed. No scrutiny. No dissent. No debate. That’s not democracy - it’s autopilot.
👇
zurl.co/WOFmF
👇
zurl.co/WOFmF
Access Denied
www.telegraph.co.uk
June 26, 2025 at 7:46 AM
When MPs say ‘this is Parliament at its best’, beware. It means nobody disagreed. No scrutiny. No dissent. No debate. That’s not democracy - it’s autopilot.
👇
zurl.co/WOFmF
👇
zurl.co/WOFmF
Britain’s debt is a national security risk.
If overseas bondholders lose confidence, we lose control—on interest, defence, even sovereignty.
A must-read from Lord Bridges.
zurl.co/d21y8
If overseas bondholders lose confidence, we lose control—on interest, defence, even sovereignty.
A must-read from Lord Bridges.
zurl.co/d21y8
Access Denied
zurl.co
June 24, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Britain’s debt is a national security risk.
If overseas bondholders lose confidence, we lose control—on interest, defence, even sovereignty.
A must-read from Lord Bridges.
zurl.co/d21y8
If overseas bondholders lose confidence, we lose control—on interest, defence, even sovereignty.
A must-read from Lord Bridges.
zurl.co/d21y8
£30bn in tax rises now on the table as NATO demands climb and spending promises bite. Fiscal realism is coming—one way or another.
zurl.co/RvK9P
zurl.co/RvK9P
Access Denied
zurl.co
June 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
£30bn in tax rises now on the table as NATO demands climb and spending promises bite. Fiscal realism is coming—one way or another.
zurl.co/RvK9P
zurl.co/RvK9P
UK may expand its Wedgetail AEW&C fleet – good - but no cash, no dates. The SDR line is vague: “potential to expand… subject to future decisions.” It's needed - but this is more stalling than strategy. zurl.co/gZl8c
UK plans to expand E-7 radar fleet after earlier cuts
The UK Government has signalled its intent to expand its fleet of E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft as part of the newly published Strategic Defence Review.
zurl.co
June 23, 2025 at 9:03 AM
UK may expand its Wedgetail AEW&C fleet – good - but no cash, no dates. The SDR line is vague: “potential to expand… subject to future decisions.” It's needed - but this is more stalling than strategy. zurl.co/gZl8c
UK’s F-35A buy hints at a tactical nuclear role - but without a UK warhead or standoff option, is it real deterrence or just theatre?
📎 zurl.co/NiRS1
📎 zurl.co/NiRS1
UK exploring idea of F-35A purchase for NATO strike role
We’ve corrected our article: UK F-35A purchase intention not confirmed, but being considered based on requriements. Gov’t edited response after error suggested a firm shift.
zurl.co
June 22, 2025 at 4:59 PM
UK’s F-35A buy hints at a tactical nuclear role - but without a UK warhead or standoff option, is it real deterrence or just theatre?
📎 zurl.co/NiRS1
📎 zurl.co/NiRS1
Two wars at once. China moves on Taiwan. Russia grabs the Baltics. UK generals say it’s a real risk—and we’re not ready. No deadlines. No kit. No cash. Just drift. Must-read:
zurl.co/582ou
zurl.co/582ou
Military chiefs fear ‘nightmare’ double wars against China and Russia
General Sir Patrick Sanders says the Ministry of Defence is wargaming a potential polycrisis in two years
zurl.co
June 22, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Two wars at once. China moves on Taiwan. Russia grabs the Baltics. UK generals say it’s a real risk—and we’re not ready. No deadlines. No kit. No cash. Just drift. Must-read:
zurl.co/582ou
zurl.co/582ou