“The British public understand the cost of not standing up to Putin.”

As one of the least qualified people on the planet to talk about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I thought I might waste a few moments of your time by talking about the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

First, the ‘good’ news. The free world, whether we like it or not, led by America, is not led by Putin fan boy and all round wrong ‘un Donald Trump. Idiot Republican senator Ted Cruz not only blames Joe Biden for the Russian invasion, he adds that the invasion would not have happened at all if only Trump was still in the White House. In Joe Biden, we have arguably the most experienced and, crucially, thoroughly decent politician in the West Wing. And here in the UK, we don’t have Jeremy Corbyn in Number 10. Apart from his sheer unsuitability for the office of prime minister, he is and always has been a Russian apologist. In fact, when he was Labour’s worst ever leader, he literally employed actual communists and Russian sympathisers in his office. I’m afraid that’s where the good news ends.

The bad news goes on forever. Here are the things which trouble me today:

• This weekend’s constitutional referendum in Belarus, which is certain to be won, makes it likely the country will host Russia’s nuclear weapons
• The UK is now on the fringes of world politics. Having decided to remove ourselves from Europe’s top table no one cares what we think.
• Even though it is a considerable relief that Corbyn is not prime minister, it is hard to imagine a worse prime minister than Boris Johnson for times like these. Worse still, his is a cabinet of the untalented. Who could, except in some dystopian nightmare, imagine a cabinet including the likes of Dominic Raab, Priti Patel, Nadine Dorries and a complete and utter buffoon like Liz Truss in the foreign office?

Speaking of Truss, she is currently doing the media round with her piss poor Poundshop Thatcher tribute act, convincing no one that she has the remotest grip on reality. This is a woman who memorably announced she was “not interested in foreign affairs” so naturally Johnson made her foreign secretary. Nevertheless, I was particularly interested in one of the things she said today.

When asked if she thought people were ready for further dramatic price rises on bills and in shops, all in addition to the 54% rise in domestic fuel bills, she said this: “The British public understand the cost of not standing up to Putin.” On the face of it, even though she didn’t actually answer the question posed, her comment was fair, wasn’t it? We do know what happens when you don’t stand up to fascism and the other 57 varieties of dictators. If you don’t, it’s called appeasement, which is what Neville Chamberlain tried with Hitler in the 1930s and what the likes of Nigel Farage and his Leave EU crew effectively call for today. Don’t “poke the Russian bear” said Farage, a man who I have no hesitation in calling a traitor. But let’s not get too sidetracked with dirt bags like him. For most of us, the cost of standing up to Putin will hit our wallets and purses.

My feeling is that many of us – and I include me in this – aren’t prepared for the coming financial hit. It is entirely possible that the OFFGEM price cap could rise to £3000 per annum. Can you imagine the effects, not just on the very poorest people, but on the apparently comfortable middle classes? That’s without the soaring inflation hitting our economy and likely rises in interest rates. Only the better off, including those sloshing around in dirty Russian money, probably won’t notice. For some, it won’t be a choice of eating or heating: it could be they struggle with both.

One thing seems certain: the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine will rumble on for years. There will be high price to be paid, both economically and politically. And what if a desperate, cornered Putin announced he was to defend himself by the use of nuclear weapons? After all, he lied to the world about his invasion of Ukraine, calling it a defensive measure to protect Russia. That is another aspect to Truss’s comment: “The British public understand the cost of not standing up to Putin.” Her simplistic soundbites hide a grim catalogue of possibilities.

This may not be the end of the world as we know it but for my generation, and perhaps the ones that follow, things have changed forever. Bland platitudes from third rate politicians are not enough. Times are about to get much harder and soon it will be time for them to tell us how best they can protect us, particularly the poor and vulnerable. I am not sure the current government is capable of that and worst of all they don’t really care.