After five decades of brutal dictatorship, the liberation of Syria is good news for the people of Syria and for the world.  While there are no guarantees at this time, as I write, there appears to be real optimism in Syria that the country will be run in a much more inclusive way for all its peoples.

The speed at which Assad’s regime collapsed will be concerning for undemocratic regimes the world over.  Autocrats like Putin like to project a picture of invincibility and inevitability, but as we saw in just 12 days in Syria, things can change very quickly. 

The flip side is that it can be easy to take our own freedoms for granted.  The threats to our way of life are growing and it is wrong to assume that freedom, as enduring as it is, will always win out. 

We don’t need to be fearful, but we do need to be alert, especially to the more subtle foreign interference that seeks to sow discourse and to negatively influence opinions in our democracy.  There are bad actors out there such as hostile foreign states, but there’s also Western politicians and their online cheerleaders, who ape the agendas of those regimes, whether intentionally or as ‘useful idiots’. 

Deterrence through a powerful military and strong alliances is vital, as is strategic global locations to project power and deterrence.  This is why the UK government’s decision to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, who are open to influence from China, is so disastrous, as well as being a further injustice to Chagossian people.

The UK government needs to be more Conservative-like in building up our military capabilities and be robust in dealing with challenges that seek to weaken Western strength that protects freedom and democracy.  This Wednesday, we will debate my motion at Crawley Borough Council, calling on the UK government to change their mind about giving the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.  While our locally based objection is in solidarity with Crawley’s Chagossian community, who have disgracefully been excluded from the process, the potential long-term global geo-political implications are concerning.

Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group

11th December 2024