Britain must defend its streets as well as its borders

The debate around national security too often focuses solely on external threats while neglecting the social instability building within Britain itself

Sir,

Re: Britain must defend its streets as well as its borders

I could not agree more with the view of writer Phil Cleary, that defending Britain means more than strengthening borders alone.

A country cannot realistically project strength abroad while appearing increasingly fragile within its own communities. Borders matter, of course, but so does whether ordinary people feel safe in town centres, on public transport and in the places where they live.

Would the government think a knight in armour protected if, at the same time, all their bones were broken? I think not.

Too often, discussions about crime and disorder collapse into political point-scoring. In reality, most can see that overstretched policing, untreated mental illness and visible social breakdown are connected problems rather than isolated issues.

We speak constantly about defence spending in terms of resilience and national security. The same thinking should apply domestically. Investment in policing, mental health provision and early intervention clearly forms part of the same foundation.

At present, the imbalance feels increasingly stark. Britain risks becoming heavily focused on threats abroad while neglecting the threats already past the doorstep.

Sarah Drinkwater