Time for Change: Campaign for an Independent Green Thanet MP and Ramsgate Mayor

  The UK Government is investing £250 million to expand MOD Cadet forces by 30% by 2030. On paper, it’s framed as youth development. In practice, it risks becoming a taxpayer-funded pipeline for militarised identity, with questionable outcomes and disturbing ethical shadows. 98% Dropout: The Quiet Failure Despite the fanfare, internal MoD data and independent reviews suggest that up to 98%(!) of cadets never enlist in the Armed Forces. Even among those who do, dropout rates are disproportionately high for under-18 recruits. A 2013 report by Child Soldiers International found that training minors costs twice as much as adults, with 36.6% dropout compared to 28.3% for adult recruits. This isn’t just inefficiency—it’s systemic waste. The MoD spends £88,985 per minor recruit , compared to £42,818 per adult , yet the majority never serve.  That’s not investment. That’s massive tax leakage. And in the unmanned drone era only likely to increase? Child Soldiers by Design? Also the ...

  Here’s a breakdown of the   41 states that have  neither signed nor ratified   the Rome Statute and the   29 states that  signed but did not ratify   it — meaning they are   not full members   of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as of 2025: 41 States That Have Neither Signed Nor Ratified the Rome Statute These countries have  no formal legal ties  to the ICC: Asia-Pacific : China, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, Vietnam, Nepal, Bhutan, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand Middle East & North Africa : Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Lebanon Africa : Angola, Eritrea, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Cameroon Europe : Belarus Americas : Cuba, Nicaragua Others : North Korea, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan 29 States That Signed But Did Not Ratify the Rome Statute These countries  expressed initial support  but never completed the ratification proces...

  Ban White Phosphorus: Gaza’s Agony and the Thai Border Flashpoint In Gaza, white phosphorus has become a symbol of indiscriminate suffering. But it’s not just the Middle East where this incendiary substance is raising alarms. Along the Thai-Cambodian border , recent clashes have reignited debate over its legality, deployment, and humanitarian impact. Gaza: A Humanitarian Catastrophe According to Al Jazeera ov er 61,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023, with starvation deaths now exceeding 260. Amid this devastation, reports of white phosphorus use in civilian zones have drawn condemnation from rights groups. Its effects—deep burns, toxic smoke, and environmental contamination—are incompatible with international humanitarian law, especially in urban warfare. Thai-Cambodian Border War: A Legal Grey Zone In August 2025, the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) accused Thai forces of firing white phosphorus shells into Oddar Meanchey province during a five-day bord...

  The Bitter Irony of Cambodia’s Landmine Legacy: From Clearance Champion to Alleged Violator In the shadow of the Ottawa Treaty and decades of humanitarian mine clearance, recent allegations against Cambodia have cast a dark irony over its international reputation. Thailand’s military claims that Cambodian forces have planted new anti-personnel landmines along disputed border zones—injuring Thai soldiers and reigniting tensions that many hoped were buried with the mines themselves. This is not just a geopolitical flare-up. It’s a symbolic rupture in Cambodia’s carefully cultivated image as a post-conflict nation committed to peace, reconstruction, and the eradication of indiscriminate weapons.  The irony is sharp: a country that once bore the brunt of Cold War proxy violence and became a global poster child for mine clearance now stands accused of deploying the very tools it vowed to eliminate. A Legacy of Mines—and Redemption Cambodia’s terrain is scarred by more than 1 mill...

  Thai Defence Communications: Glitter Over Guns? by Tim Garbutt Panadda Wongphudee’s appointment as Thailand’s defence spokeswoman is emblematic of a media-first strategy . Her beauty queen past (Miss Thailand 2000) and celebrity status are leveraged to counter Cambodia’s Lt Gen Maly Socheata, who herself blends military rank with media presence.  The Thai Defence Ministry’s comment—“she is more beautiful”—wasn’t just a jaw droppingly foolish jab, but a signal that optics could matter in this information war. Panadda’s reported experience in border camps and her upcoming series on muzzle velocity and field logistics (if confirmed) would mark a shift from symbolic to substantive. If she’s documenting first-hand military operations, it could redefine her role from spokesperson to embedded communicator. Or provide Lt Gen Maly to highlight her inexperience on defence matters, much as USA's Pete Hegseth struggles with walking and talking as Defence Sec. Certainly Pannada's borde...

  Losing the Narrative Abroad: Thailand’s Diplomatic Stumble and Cambodia’s Symbolic Surge by Tim Garbutt In the wake of the recent border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, a troubling pattern has emerged: Thailand is losing the international narrative, while Cambodia is winning hearts and headlines. Despite the ceasefire brokered on July 28, Thailand’s diplomatic posture remains reactive and fragmented, allowing Cambodia to dominate the global conversation with symbolic gestures, strategic messaging, and emotionally resonant media. Thailand’s Communication Breakdown The Bangkok Post’s editorial, Losing the Narrative , lays bare the Thai government’s failure to assert its position on the world stage.  Bangkok Post - Losing the narrative Despite evidence of Cambodian shelling of civilian areas and violations of the Geneva Convention, Thailand’s response has been muted, delayed, and largely invisible to foreign audiences. A joint press briefing by the Thai military and Fore...

  Click to see Tim Garbutt on Twitter/X: @timg33 Tweet This