I’m extremely proud to be British and utterly unapologetic about that pride. Britain taught the world what freedom means. But often these days I look across the pond at the United States and think you guys might be on to something.
I’m not claiming you get everything right, but America still believes that leadership means taking decisions, not dodging them.
It’s that courage to act, even when it’s unpopular, that makes a nation strong. Britain on the other hand is being led by a government that mistakes timidity for wisdom.
Keir Starmer took office 16 months ago, and Britain has watched him surrender our sovereignty in the Chagos Islands and this month preside over the collapse of a major spying case against China.
Too afraid to expose Beijing’s interference in our democracy and now even being questioned by a US congressional committee about whether China pressured our government to drop the case.
When allies start asking if Britain’s gone soft, you know something’s gone badly wrong.
On everything from the economy to borders, there’s much we can learn from America’s example.Â
It starts with the no-nonsense approach to illegal immigration spearheaded by President Donald Trump in his second term.
The scourge of illegal immigration affects almost every country in the West. For the US, it’s the Mexican border. For Britain, it’s the daily arrival of young men in dinghies on our beaches.
These small boats wash up on UK shores, filled to the brim with hundreds of illegal migrants from the Middle East and Africa.
Huge groups of mostly males in their 20s and 30s, who have travelled across Europe after paying traffickers to get them into my country.
This didn’t start under the current Labour government, but it’s got a lot worse under it.
Britain’s generosity has been abused, but the government still can’t explain what it’s going to do about it.
America’s tougher border enforcement shows what clear rules and political courage can achieve.
The president’s Proclamation 10888 in January this year ended the process of asylum at the border, ended the use of asylum laws for those already in the US and beefed up the powers of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain and deport anyone in the country illegally.
My BORDERS plan would do similar for the UK.
No more endless appeals, no more Human Rights loopholes for people who broke the law to get here.
Those who come illegally would be removed quickly and fairly by a new British Removals Force, modeled on ICE.
The United States is already seeing great results, with hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants deported, and millions more seeing the writing on the wall and leaving.
That’s policy in action. A promise delivered and real results.
Illegal immigration is bad for us, but it’s also bad for many immigrants too, fueling the black market, pushing people into drugs, prostitution and modern slavery.
But above all, it’s unfair to those who follow the rules, work hard and pay their way.
Like many Americans, I stand for those people who do the right thing.
Another place I agree with this White House is on energy. Cheap energy is the foundation of a growing economy.
No serious politician can talk about putting money in people’s pockets if they’re also doing things that make energy bills more expensive.
In Washington, the new administration has prioritized domestic production and lower bills.
Meanwhile in Britain, Labour ministers are so obsessed with chasing net-zero targets that they’re making life harder for ordinary families.
It’s simple: A nation that can’t power itself, can’t defend itself.
We’re sitting on North Sea oil and gas, yet the government refuses to grant new licenses.Â
We’re now in the crazy position of importing gas from our near-neighbors Norway, who are getting stuck into those same oil fields in the North Sea.
That’s not environmentalism. It’s economic self-harm.
When I met President Trump recently, we spoke about how strong allies can lead the West out of decline, by being proud of who we are and unafraid to use our own resources.
The president and I also talked about the need for national security and for the West to be united against the threats we face.
I believe these threats include the rise of Islamist extremism. Too many in the West have ignored the fight of Israel, a true liberal democracy in the Middle East, against rising intolerance and hate.
Those malevolent forces reached their peak on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists, working with allies in Iran and Syria, committed the most appalling atrocities against Israeli citizens.
While others were handwringing or worse, recognizing a Hamas-run Palestinian state that was brutally murdering its own citizens, President Trump helped bring the war in Gaza to a close and get aid flowing again.
But security is fragile. The West can’t drop its guard against Islamist extremism or for that matter, against China’s growing reach across the world.
Most of our supply chains and much of both our economies are now heavily dependent on China — from phones and computers, to cars and microchips — and that isn’t going to change fast.
But we need to be constantly watchful for the more hostile side of Beijing’s activities.
In Britain, we’ve had alleged spies right at the heart of our democracy, and our security services warn of daily cyber-attacks from China.
In President Trump, I see a leader who relentlessly stands up for America’s interests and doesn’t spend his days practicing his pose for the G7 group photo.
That is what we need in Britain, where far too many prefer looking important abroad to doing something useful at home.
The world has become more turbulent. The West needs strong leadership.
America’s got it. Britain deserves the same.
My mission is simple: to give our country the strength and clarity it’s been missing.
The world still looks to London and Washington for strength. Together, we built the free world. Together, we can defend it again.
Kemi Badenoch MP is leader of the Conservative Party and HM Leader of the Opposition.