Sadly and predictably, Iran appears to have achieved escalation dominance by closing the Strait of Hormuz. I asked what plans the government have for a post-conflict region where Iran retains the upper hand because it can dictate global energy prices and continue to threaten gulf nations.

Given the fate of the Russian Black Sea fleet from maritime drones and ground forces from FPV drones, there is unlikely to be a military solution to reopening the confined waters of Hormuz. We need a diplomatic solution as fast as possible.

British Lance Corporal Brodie Gillon was killed by an Iranian ballistic missile in Iraq in 2020. When I arrived as a soldier three months later, our base was attacked eight times by Iranian proxy militias. The Iranian regime has gunned down tens of thousands of protesters in recent weeks. The morality of this is complex. I support the Prime Minister’s view in favour of a negotiated settlement, given the risks of regime change, but it must include protections against retaliation for protesters. The Prime Minister agreed.

This week, I asked the government again to get serious about increasing defence spending. This would be good for our economy and protect the free world.

President Reagan described America as a beacon on the hill. Sadly that light seems to be fading. But I believe it has burned long enough for the other democracies to see it. In the 1940s refugees fled the Nazis built the atomic bomb and won the war. In the process they developed a method of public research and development which has powered US economic dominance ever since. The current and former Presidents of the European Central Bank have urged Europe to borrow to invest in defence R&D not only to deter Russia but to also lift Europe out of the stagnation which has held the continent and the UK back since the 2008 financial crash. We can do this too and in the process help ensure that liberal democracy remains humanity’s last best hope.

I asked the Foreign Secretary exactly how many NATO allies does Donald Trump need to threaten for the government to recognise that Donald Trump is a threat to the survival of liberal democracy in the 21st century.