The hunt for Hague’s mojo

All hands to the Defence Select Committee this afternoon, for questions about the nation’s security apparatus. Of course, most onlookers were not remotely interested in the answers. For them, this gathering was convened to see if William Hague might regain his “mojo“.

He didn’t get the chance. This was Letwin Hour. Or Letwin’s Two Hours, to be precise. After a difficult fortnight for the government, the brain behind Cameron’s premiership high-jacked proceedings. In insouciant tones, he explained the manifold complexities of the government’s security policy to the committee. Real terms defence spending is likely to increase after the next spending round and Trident will be replaced; both are a response to perceived threats and Britain’s aspirations abroad. He delved into the dangers of shifting political sands and explored the threat of technological warfare. At length, he ruminated on the interrelation of hard and soft power in the modern world. Somehow he contrived to over-complicate the distinction between the National Security Council, which plans long-term strategy, and COBRA, which manages current operations.