Selkirk Ventures

03/05/2026

Did you know? ... HRH William, The Prince of Wales is legally NOT required to pay income tax. DON'T STOP HERE! Keep reading ...

However, HRH has ALWAYS paid income and capital gains tax voluntarily (As has HM The King!) and he does so at the highest rate. The Sunday Times has reported HRH is one of Britain's largest taxpayers and is said to pay up to £7 million in income tax a year ~ approximately $9.5 million US.

HRH does NOT receive an income from The Sovereign Grant which is the amount of money provided by Government to the Royal Household in support of The Sovereign's official duties, including the maintenance of the Occupied Royal Palaces: Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace, Clarence House, Marlborough House Mews, the residential and office areas of Kensington Palace, Windsor Castle and the buildings in the Home and Great Parks at Windsor, and Hampton Court Mews and Paddocks.

He instead receives his income from the Duchy of Cornwall, a private land estate worth approximately £1.1 billion, inherited by every heir to the throne since the 14th century. The Prince of Wales receives the annual net surplus of the Duchy of Cornwall and uses a large proportion of the funds to meet the cost of his public and charitable work. From this income he also pays the wages of his wife and in the distant future that income will also pay the wages of his children who may work on behalf of The Crown as well as, if they are married, their spouses.

The Duchy of Cornwall is inherited by The Prince of Wales automatically on the day his parent accedes to the throne. For King Charles that was in February 1952 and for the currently Prince of Wales, Prince William, that was in September 2022.

In time, the Duchy of Cornwall will automatically pass down to HRH Prince George of Wales upon Prince William's accession to the throne and, once again, it will automatically pass down to Prince George's eldest child and heir upon Prince George's accession to the throne and so on and so forth.

It should also be noted ~ The requirement for the monarch to pay income tax evolved through several reigns before being entirely abolished for a time in the 1930s.

Queen Victoria voluntarily paid income tax as far back as 1842 and the voluntary paying of income tax continued through the reigns of Edward VII and George V. Government granted a tax exemption to King George VI on the grounds that The Sovereign "naturally" should not pay tax and the exemption remained in effect until 1993 when, following a devastating fire at Windsor Castle Queen Elizabeth II voluntarily began paying taxes. By then the now Charles III had already been paying taxes voluntarily for decades.

Since 2001 the monarchy has published their annual accounts making the royal finances more transparent.

Read more: https://www.royal.uk/royal-finances-0

Shared from History & Lives of the British Royals
https://www.facebook.com/History-Lives-of-the-British-Royals-122845112442353/

02/05/2026

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The King and I

I hadn’t planned on watching King Charles III address Congress. I assumed I’d absorb the highlights later, filtered through the usual churn of headlines and commentary. But something made me pause, just for a moment, and in that brief glance, I found myself unexpectedly drawn in. There was a quiet gravity to his presence, a composure that didn’t demand attention so much as earn it. His words were measured, deliberate, and carried the weight of history without ever becoming heavy. It wasn’t just what he said, it was how he said it, the cadence, the restraint, the unmistakable sense that each phrase had been considered rather than performed. Before I knew it, I wasn’t skimming. I was listening. Fully. In an era defined by noise, urgency, and theatrical outrage, it felt almost foreign to witness something dignified and unhurried. Whatever one’s views on monarchy, there was something undeniably compelling about watching a speaker who understands not just the power of language, but the responsibility that comes with it.

What struck me most wasn’t simply the content of the speech, it was the reminder of what language sounds like when it’s treated with respect. Full sentences. Complete thoughts. A rhythm that builds meaning instead of chasing applause. This is what leadership sounds like when it’s informed by history rather than inflated by ego. Charles spoke of alliances not as leverage, but as commitments. He invoked NATO not as a transaction, but as a shared defense of democratic stability. He spoke of Ukraine not as a bargaining chip, but as a moral responsibility. And when he addressed the climate crisis, he framed it correctly, as a systemic threat to prosperity, security, and continuity itself. There was no need for exaggeration, no need for spectacle. Just clarity. And that’s where the contrast becomes impossible to ignore, because when language is reduced to slogans, grievance, and performance, it stops illuminating and starts obscuring. One man constructs an argument; another constructs a reaction. One understands that words carry weight; the other treats them as disposable. Listening to Charles, you’re reminded that rhetoric, when done properly, doesn’t inflame, it clarifies. It connects. It aspires.

What made the moment even more striking was its subtlety. This wasn’t a rebuke. It was something far more effective: a quiet, impeccably delivered reminder of what democratic leadership can look like at its best. When he spoke of checks and balances, rooted in the legacy of Magna Carta, it wasn’t just a history lesson, it was a mirror. When he said America’s words carry weight, and its actions carry even more, it landed not as praise, but as a challenge. A gentle one, but unmistakable. And then there was Queen Camilla, moving through her visit with a different kind of authority, one grounded not in power, but in presence. Her appearance at the New York Public Library, highlighting literacy and storytelling through her Reading Room initiative, felt like a reminder of something we too often overlook: that culture, learning, and curiosity are forms of leadership too. In a time when so much public discourse is reduced to confrontation, she chose connection. In a moment that could have been ceremonial, she made it human.

Together, they offered something rare over those few days, not perfection, not nostalgia, but perspective. A glimpse of what it looks like when public figures understand the difference between visibility and substance, between performance and purpose. And maybe that’s the real lesson. Because regardless of how any of us feel about monarchy, this visit wasn’t about crowns or titles. It was about contrast. It was about being reminded, quietly, almost gently, that leadership still has a vocabulary, that dignity is not weakness, that restraint is not absence, and that words, when chosen carefully, can still build something instead of tearing it down. For a brief moment, the noise softened, the temperature dropped, and if you were willing to listen, not just hear, but actually listen, you could feel it. Not a return to the past, not a longing for kings, just a reminder of what’s still possible.

— Michael Jochum
Not Just a Drummer: Reflections on Art, Politics, Dogs, and the Human Condition

30/04/2026

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Pull up a chair. If you missed the clips from the State Dinner last night (April 28, 2026), you missed a total masterclass in "Diplomatic Shade." King Charles III just gave us a history lesson that was as sharp as it was hilarious.

The King was responding to the President's recent jab that without the U.S., Europe would be "speaking German." Charles didn't skip a beat, firing back: "Dare I say that if it wasn't for us, you'd be speaking French."

Here is the historical "tea" behind that remark:

The Global Power Struggle (1756–1763)
Long before the United States was even a dream, the British and the French were locked in the Seven Years' War (known in America as the French and Indian War). They weren't just fighting for patches of dirt; they were fighting for the "soul" of North America. At the time, France held massive territories stretching from Canada down the Mississippi River, effectively pinning the British colonies to the East Coast.

The British Victory
If King Charles’s ancestors hadn't won that war, the map of North America would look completely different today. The British victory in 1763 forced France to cede almost all its North American territory. Without that win, George Washington might have grown up a subject of King Louis XV, and the "American" culture we know today would likely have been entirely Francophone.

The Irony of the "Special Relationship"
The King was essentially reminding everyone that while the U.S. helped save Britain in the 1940s, Britain "saved" the future U.S. from being a French colony in the 1760s. It’s a 250-year-old game of geopolitical "I owe you one."

The Takeaway
This wasn't just a witty retort; it was a brilliant bit of soft power. As we celebrate the U.S. Semiquincentennial (the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence) this year, Charles is subtly reminding us that the "Special Relationship" isn't a one-way street. It is a long, messy, and deeply interconnected family history.

29/04/2026

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𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐘 “𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍 𝐎𝐅𝐅” 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐈𝐋 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐒. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐇𝐑𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐓 𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐓𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅.

From the NY Post, citing Bloomberg satellite imagery and four energy-industry analysts:

“𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘒𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘨 𝘐𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥, 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘪𝘭-𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘩𝘶𝘣 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 90% 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴. 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘰 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘶𝘭𝘧 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘮𝘢𝘯, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘐𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜.𝘚. 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘥𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘛𝘦𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 29 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥. 𝘐𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 122 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘦𝘩𝘳𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐌. 𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐈𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐑 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐖𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐏.

When the well stops flowing, four irreversible processes begin:

𝟏. 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. Oil floats above water in the reservoir. When production stops, water rises into the wellbore. On restart, the well produces water — not oil. The oil that was there is now trapped in rock pores around the bottom of the well, 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

𝟐. 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Heavy hydrocarbons stay dissolved when oil is moving. When flow stops, they crystallize and clog the perforations, the tubing, and the rock pores. 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐡𝐨𝐭-𝐨𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬 — 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

𝟑. 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐞. Iran’s elephant fields — Ahvaz, Marun, Gachsaran — are 60-90 years old. They are kept alive by water injection. Stop the injection and the field permanently loses its drive mechanism.

𝟒. 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Pressure changes during shut-in cause sand and rock fines to migrate into the well. On restart, the well produces sand that erodes pumps and tubing. 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.

Energy analyst Derek Reisfield, formerly of McKinsey, on the record to the NY Post: “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

Even Iran’s own parliament knows. Iranian MP Ahmad Bashesh Ast Ardastani: “𝘸𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘨𝘦. 𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘧 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘚𝘩𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘱.”

Trump on Fox News Sunday: “𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘱𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 — 𝘪𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯, 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴.”

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐢𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐝𝐞. 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬.

𝐓𝐞𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝟐𝟒 𝐭𝐨 𝟒𝟖 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐑𝐆𝐂’𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

26/02/2026

As a result of a short clip last weekend, we now know that at least one Met police officer understands the law on free speech. She should train the rest of them — and be given a medal.

A lone female Met police officer took on an angry group of Muslim men in Whitechapel and calmly defended the right of a Christian street preacher to preach.

She told them, “In this country, we have freedom of speech,” adding, “I understand you guys don’t want to hear it, so I would just recommend that you walk away and don’t listen to him.” It was clear the men were shocked that she hadn’t simply arrested the preacher — as happens all too frequently — and sought to spur her into action by claiming they were in “a Muslim area”. This ridiculous and false assertion was met by the officer calmly pointing out that there is no such thing as a “Muslim area” in London.

This officer was heroic and gives us reason to retain some faith in British policing. Under considerable pressure, she demonstrated a sound knowledge of the law: that preaching peacefully in a public place is protected by Article 10 of the Human Rights Act 1998, and that the feelings of offended bystanders, however loudly expressed, are irrelevant.

Unfortunately, she is the exception rather than the rule.

Christian street preachers have increasingly become victims of cowardly policing and a distortion of the Public Order Act. In April 2021, 71-year-old Pastor John Sherwood was arrested by Met officers for saying that, in his view, the family unit as ordained by God consisted of a mother and father. Passersby complained that this was homophobic hate speech. He was arrested, spent a night in a cell and was charged with a public order offence. In 2022, Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court acquitted him, affirming his freedom under Article 10 “to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority”.

Nor is he an isolated case. In Leeds, a street preacher was prosecuted for a Section 4A public order offence for misgendering a trans heckler.

The problem is institutional. Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley should ensure that this officer’s conduct is incorporated into training for officers and recruits on how to respond to complaints about Christian street preachers — and others lawfully exercising their right to speak in public.

Read more from the Free Speech Union’s General Secretary, Lord Young of Acton 👇

20/02/2026

Some (but not all) of the UK's Overseas Permanent Bases... Some people clearly still don't understand that the UK is still a global power, no other nation other than France and the US has the same potential for power projection world wide. That is not to say this is a position that is currently stable, we have a govt intent on handing over control of British overseas territories.

Missing from the map is Japan which hosts two Royal Naval corvette sized patrol ships, Cayman Islands - home to the Cayman Islands Regiment, Turks and Caicos Islands - home to the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment.

There is a permanent Royal Navy presence in the Far East, Pacific, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Caribbean Sea.

The UK is the only other nation, other than the US to operate what are deemed super carriers, one of only 5 nations with a permanent seat on the security council with a permanent veto over any UN vote, one of only 5 nations to operate ISBN nuclear missile submarines, one of only 6 nations to operate nuclear submarines. You are clearly incapable of rational thought.

The UK provides a major force commitment to defending NATO's Eastern Flank with forces based on,, or regularly deployed to Russia's borders with Finland, Norway, Estonia, and Poland... British forces are deployed in Estonia and Poland as part of NATO's Forward Land Forces to enhance security against potential Russian aggression. This includes participation in exercises and operations aimed at reinforcing NATO's eastern flank.

The UK continues to maintain a commitment to UN Command Korea in the form of permanent representative and participating in joint exercises and training with South Korean military units, enhancing bilateral ties and regional security.

The UK contributes to the Multinational Force of Observers Sinai Peninsular, providing HQ staff.

The UK is a leading contributor to UN Forces Cyprus.

The UK trains forces throughout Africa, and many other parts of the world including the Middle East, Central Asia, India, SE Asia, the Pacific, Caribbean, Chile, and throughout much of Europe.

The UK is home to the Commonwealth of Nations - one of the worlds most influential and powerful multinational organisations.

10/01/2026

For many years now, the start of a New Year has coincided with the anniversary of Flight 1549.

In our household, January has always been full. It brings the birthdays of our two daughters and then, much to Lorrie’s chagrin, my own. In 2009, the landing on the Hudson River quite literally landed in the middle of all of that. As a matter of fact, our older daughter had a scheduled appointment to get her driver’s license the week after the landing, which we had to cancel. And, typical of a 16-year-old, she was not a happy camper, regardless of the reason.

Those personal moments and that extraordinary day now arrive together each year. One looks ahead to what is to come, the other looks back at a day that tested everything I knew and everything I was prepared to do.

What happened on January 15, 2009 reinforced truths that extend far beyond aviation:

1. Preparation creates options. Training and experience give us the ability to respond with clarity instead of fear, turning the unexpected into a challenge that can be managed.

2. Teamwork multiplies capability. When people share standards, trust, and purpose, individual skills become collective strength, and outcomes change as a result.

3. Calm, disciplined decision-making can change outcomes in moments of uncertainty. Composure allows us to see the real problem, filter out the noise, and act on what matters most when seconds count.

4. Community matters. What happened that day created a bond that has lasted far beyond the event itself. It is a reminder that in moments of challenge, our connections to one another can become a source of resilience, meaning, and strength.

These are reminders that safety is a continuous practice, not a destination, and that leadership requires clarity, competence, and a commitment to doing what is right, even when the path is difficult.

As we enter a new year, I will continue to carry these principles with me.

The work is never finished, and the responsibility to learn, improve, and uphold the highest standards remains as important as ever.

Here’s to a safe, steady, and purposeful year ahead.

09/10/2025

Bloomberg just broke down how the AI bubble is being built:

08/10/2025

Go Beneath the Surface

31/08/2025

I'm British, and often amazed at how little even other brits know about basic british things. For example, the Union Flag is made up of the cross of St George (England), the cross of St Andrew (Scotland) and the cross of St Patrick (Ireland).

Also, 'Great Britain' isn't so called because we think we are so amazing, but because it is the largest island of the 6000+ islands that make up the British isles.

I'm constantly trying to find ways of telling people this, valiantly making up for the holes in the national education system, but people's eyes tend to glaze over by the time I get to 'cross of St George'.

Interested in islands and flags, size 10 but have to account for the bunion