There is a reason the world looked to Britain when Russia invaded Ukraine. Not because we had the largest army or the deepest pockets, but because we were expected to know right from wrong – and we did.
When Europe paused, and Washington dithered – before repeatedly enabling Putin – Britain made the call, and we have not wavered.
That instinct, the willingness to lead on principle when others are still checking the temperature, is not a happy accident. It is the product of centuries of investing in the idea that Britain stands for something beyond its own interests. It is at the very centre of our country's soul.