Starmer Used The Channel Naval Raid As ‘A Political Noise-Making Device’ | Tom Sharpe

“It is unfortunate that this has clearly come about as a political noise-making device, given the calamity of last week's defence infrastructure essentially collapsing and a by-election next week.” The interception of a Russian vessel in the English Channel is being dismissed as a calculated media distraction from the collapse of the defence cabinet, "using the news cycle to drive operations" is "appalling", says former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe. Tom Sharpe was speaking to Ayesha Hazarika on Times Radio Drive. Listen live every Sunday from 4pm–7pm. Read the best of our journalism: https://www.thetimes.com/ Listen live to Times Radio: https://www.thetimes.com/radio/live Subscribe to The Times and The Sunday Times YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=timesonlinevideo Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timesandsundaytimes/ Find us on X: https://x.com/thetimes Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetimes/