I am disappointed that one of the two new aircraft carriers will be purely a helicopter platform, making it essentially a super-cruiser, though less impressive than the sleek USSR-holdover Kiev employed by Russia. With spending stringency it was probably inevitable that it would be mothballed immediately it slips down the gangway, but for it to be sold would show that Britain does not take future naval operations on its own seriously. I applaud co-operation with allies and ironically, given their sound and fury over a European army, the Conservatives are paving the way for a European navy. Of even more concern is that the UK will not have a jet fighter naval presence until 2020, with HMS Ark Royal being decomissioned straight away and HMS Illustrious reduced to a mere helicopter platform before going the same way in 2014. Of course, this island nation is no longer a first-rate military power and hasn't been for decades, but it is with sadness that we are now slipping into a third tier status.

Mind you, the way the French are reacting to getting themselves in shape for the 21st century is amazing, though not unexpected. The fact that soon the French will spend a third of their lives in retirement in unsustainable. Nicolas Sarkozy knows that, even if he only serves one term, the oppostion Socialists will be loath to try to unscramble the ommelette of the pension reform, even though they can make hay now through the president's discomfort. It is not Thatcherite, nor Churchillian, let alone revolutionary, simply pragmatic. Try telling that to vested interests though. Seeing the rubbish pile up in Marseille is reminiscent of Britain in the 1970s and we view that period as a national embarrassment. All part of the Gallic way of life though. It seems our neighbours can't go two weeks without one set of French workers or other rustling up a reason to go on strike. Molotov cocktails flying outside a school in the Paris suburb of Combes-la-Ville, an angry, rifle-toting protestor making a cameo, bus shelters smashed, a fast-food cafe looted and several cars torched - is this the social model the unions are defending? It would be remiss to tar all the disgruntled civil disobedience as violent, but it does give cover to those who like nothing better than destruction then dress it up as moral high ground. At least the French can enjoy the peace of roads with fewer vehicles as Britain experienced ten years ago when fuel strikes reared their ugly head. There are not many ugly heads in France, but plenty of foolish ones.