I recently stood on Whitehall for the Armistice Commemoration, and the following day for the Remembrance Day Parade. What a week it was.

Palestinian protestors disrupting the Armistice two-minute silence. The sacking of Suella Braverman by the PM Rishi Sunak and promoting Lord David Cameron into the Foreign Secretary position vacated by James Cleverly who took Suella Braverman’s Home office position. Over 1000 illegal immigrants arrived on our shores and yet the PM states his policies have reduced the numbers. Well unless his policies can control the prevailing winds, as it is these that have reduced the number of crossings, by regularly blowing from the north over the past year, making crossing unviable he hasn’t. The Rwanda plan is in tatters and no amount of tinkering around the edges will make this busted flush of a plan work. We have witnessed pro-Palestine supporters climbing onto the Royal Artillery memorial and Sir Mark Rowley stating they had not broken any law. I beg to differ. The Desecration of War Memorials Act 2020 states. “Desecration of a war memorial states a person who without lawful excuse, destroys, damages or otherwise desecrates a war memorial shall be guilty of an offence.

The definition of Desecrate: transitive verb.

1.    To violate the sacredness of profane.

2.    To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose;

        to violate the sanity of profane; to put to an unworthy use.

I put it to you that these protestors with their Palestinian and Hamas Flags, their chants of racist hate, did put the clambering over this memorial to an unworthy use. Yet Sir Mark Rowley thinks otherwise, yet eight Just Stop Oil protesters who undertook a similar stunt were arrested and charged. It seems to me that there is a two-tiered policing strategy going on here.

I cannot point any blame at the “Bobby on the beat”, they carry out the orders and direction from above, but something is not right here when a young white male gets a warning of arrest because he shouts his opinion at these protesters, but chants of racist hate from the protesters go unchallenged. The protesters are now emboldened, after pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable time and time again and I fear for what may happen during the next round of protests.

What has become clear is that the current government is struggling to keep its head above water and not really getting to grips with the problems of the day. Defeat at the general election is looming and even with the disarray in Labour over Sir Kier Starmer’s policy over an Israeli ceasefire, it looks increasingly likely that Labour will take the day. However, there is a solution to this malaise of dismal politics. I and others like me within the United Kingdom Independence Party have been calling for the “right to unite”. We have reached out to likeminded parties to come together in the interests of the British people and fight the next general election as one. All but one party agree this is what’s needed. Unfortunately, Reform refuses to even discus the matter. Richard Tice believes that Reform can make the change by itself and without help. I believe this approach only splits the vote and enables Labour with or without the help of the Liberal Democrats to steal the election. So, I ask and offer again, would all like minded parties to the right of centre please, for the sake of the country, because time is running out, come together as one for the country and the British people.

Sqn Ldr. Peter Richardson CFS(H) Rtd

UK Independence Party Spokesman Defence and Veterans