James Heappey

Former UK Minister for the Armed Forces (2020-24), Minister for Defence Procurement (2019-20) & Member of Parliament for Wells (2015-24) | Once a soldier

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

@akcrisp Perhaps. But engaging in a silly tit for tat on who did or didn’t spend what in defence just distracts from the real issue - it’s nowhere near enough.

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

3 things can be true at same time:

1 Govts in which I served should have spent more

2 Current government has increased defence spending

3 It’s still not enough

Spinning 1 & 2 whilst ignoring 3 is nub of issue. This isn’t about politics, it’s about a very real & serious threat

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

@millie141414 This is problem. We made good commitments on Defence esp since from 2020. I’m proud we did but it wasn’t enough. Current govt have made good commitments too. But they’re not enough either.

We’re arguing over who’s spent more. Instead we should be focussed on what threat demands.

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

Full of admiration for @JohnHealey_MP. This is a stand against Treasury (& Number 10) that needs to be made. Who on earth can take job in his place, accept deal HMT are offering, tell service chiefs they’ve got it wrong & look rest of NATO in the eye. HMT need to change tack now.

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

So true. Hustings used to be rammed with opposition activists mostly there to boo me. My activists would ask if they should come to counter it. But I always left them knocking doors having conversations that swung votes knowing that oppo were all in a village hall shouting at me!

[Chris Heaton-Harris @chhcalling]

7) And controversially, hustings count for way less than they ever use to. Individual conversations on doorsteps/outside shops etc matter much much more. Getting the data to get your vote out on the day is where the time should be spent.

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

Great to see PJHQ getting recognition. The absolute engine room of defence operations, working ridiculous hours, thinking through every last permutation, constantly reacting to rapidly changing circumstances.

[Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 @DefenceHQ]

Every shift is different. Every shift matters.

Our UK Permanent Joint Headquarters is running round the clock during the Middle East crisis.

Today, Defence Secretary @JohnHealey_MP visited to thank the staff keeping 30 operations running worldwide.

[Mark Rutte @SecGenNATO]

This morning, we gathered at NATO to mark the 4th anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

NATO stood with Ukraine 🇺🇦 from the beginning.

We stand with you today.

And we will stand with you throughout the challenges ahead.

[James Cartlidge MP 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 @jcartlidgemp]

On the 4th anniversary of Putin’s illegal invasion, we continue to stand with Ukraine – for as long as it takes 🇬🇧🇺🇦

[Chief of the Defence Staff @UKCDS_MOD]

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the start of Putin's illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

I've seen first hand the enormous bravery and courage of the Ukrainian people, and I am proud of the UK's continued, united support.

Slava Ukraini. #StandWithUkraine

[Bundeskanzler Friedrich Merz @bundeskanzler]

Seit vier Jahren ist jeder Tag und jede Nacht für die Ukrainerinnen und Ukrainer ein Albtraum. Und nicht nur für sie, sondern für uns alle. Denn der Krieg ist zurück in Europa. Nur mit gemeinsamer Stärke werden wir ihn beenden. Denn das Schicksal der Ukraine ist unser Schicksal.

[Emmanuel Macron @EmmanuelMacron]

Four years ago, Europe awoke to the sound of Russian bombs falling on Ukraine.

Four years of a war of aggression chosen by Russia, in blatant defiance of international law, of a people’s sovereignty, and of human life.

Four years of cities struck, of schools and hospitals destroyed, of energy infrastructure methodically targeted to plunge families into cold and terror.

Four years: 15,000 Ukrainian civilians killed.

Four years of shattered lives—violence, rape, torture, war crimes, and terror.

Four years, and thousands of Ukrainian children torn from their land and their families.

And yet, for four years Ukraine has held firm and resisted.

One day, Russians will grasp the enormity of the crime committed in their name, the hollowness of the pretexts invoked, and the long-term, devastating effects on their own country.

While the Kremlin promised to conquer Ukraine in a matter of days, only 1% of Ukrainian territory has been taken since the front stabilized in November 2022. Last month, Ukraine even regained ground.

And at what cost for the Russians?

More than 1.2 million Russian soldiers have been wounded or killed—the highest number of Russian combat casualties since the Second World War.

Faced with these losses, Russia is recruiting individuals on the African continent to send them to fight on the Ukrainian front, often with no prior training whatsoever.

This war is a triple failure for Russia: military, economic, and strategic.

It has strengthened NATO—the very expansion Russia sought to prevent—galvanized Europeans it hoped to weaken, and laid bare the fragility of an imperialism from another age.

Because Ukraine is the first line of defence of our continent, France and Europe stand resolutely by its side.

Financial, military, humanitarian, and energy assistance: Europe has already mobilised €170 billion. At the European Council in December, we agreed on a €90 billion loan to provide Ukraine with predictable funding over the next two years. There is no justification for calling this into question. We must now deliver on it.

Deliveries of equipment and ammunition, training, strengthened air defences and counter-drone capabilities, and support for the systems already supplied will continue.

So that Ukraine can hold—and so that Russia understands that time is not on its side.

We will also continue to target Russia’s war economy: we will stay the course on sanctions and press ahead with action against the shadow fleet.

Because there can be no peace without security—and because our security is being decided in Ukraine—we will continue our engagement within the Coalition of the Willing.

In Paris on 6 January, we built strong convergence with the United States on future security guarantees. Today’s new meeting must allow us to keep moving forward.

We will also ensure that Europeans’ interests are properly taken into account in the discussions, including—when the time comes—when it is a question of the security architecture our continent needs.

To the women and men of Ukraine: we think of you with deep emotion. Of your families who have endured so much, of your children, of all those who keep resisting under the strikes.

To those who believe they can count on our fatigue: they are mistaken.

We are, and will remain, by Ukraine’s side.

[Keir Starmer @Keir_Starmer]

Four years on from Russia’s barbaric full-scale invasion of Ukraine, our message to the Ukrainian people is simple: Britain is with you.

Today we are stepping up military, humanitarian, and reconstruction support and we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes for a just and lasting peace.

Russia will not win this war.

Slava Ukraini.

[Kaja Kallas @kajakallas]

Four years into its war, Moscow has failed to achieve any of its strategic objectives.

The pressure in the peace talks seems to be falling on Ukraine. But if we want this war to stop and any peace to last, we need to see concessions from Russia.

It’s not Ukraine’s army that is the obstacle to peace, Russia’s army is.

My doorstep ahead of today’s Foreign Affairs Council ↓

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

Forcing an unfair peace on Ukraine because it’s politically or economically expedient in Washington was never the answer and four years on, it still isn’t now. They need, and should still get, whatever it takes for as long as it takes.

Slava Ukraini.

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

This chassis plate from a N-LAW defeated Russian T72 sits in pride of place at home. A reminder of the tenacity of the Ukrainian people in resisting Russia’s attempt to destroy their country as well as what can be achieved when West is united & strong in defence of shared values.

[Sky News @SkyNews]

Are you prepared to fight for your country? Emmanuel Macron will be announcing a plan to introduce voluntary military service. Could the UK do the same?

On today's #Daily podcast, @skynewsniall is joined by former armed forces minister @JSHeappey

🎧https://t.co/YgDfOsVdHN

[Niall Paterson @skynewsniall]

Peer behind the curtain of expanded recruitment to militaries across Europe with today’s Daily - what does this mean for the UK? We’ve had @JSHeappey on before, and once again he brings both a soldier’s and a politician’s eye to events.

[Lord Ashcroft @LordAshcroft]

For every retweet of this post, I will donate £1 to the @VC_and_GC_Assoc up to £50,000.
Time is running out following @I_W_M’s decision to close the Lord Ashcroft Gallery.
Visit while you still can, to honour the bravery of those who risked so much to protect our great nation.

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

Operationalising the movement of that new cohort must’ve happened in the months after I left Govt & under the new administration.

Everything after 25/3/24, I was reading for the first time this week too.

I’m happy to contribute to the HCDC inquiry if required. [25/25]

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

On Afghan Resettlement and MOD data breach:

I’d like to add my sincere apology to those of other current & former defence ministers for the data breach which compromised details of so many applicants to the ARAP scheme.

🧵 [1/25]

[James Heappey @JSHeappey]

And on my penultimate day in Govt, 25/3, it was agreed to offer “access to apply for relocation” for 2,300 of those considered on 22/1 plus their families. Around 11,500 people in all.

A new ‘secret route’ wasn’t under consideration at that point. [24/25]