On this episode of Brigadoon Radio, Gerald Ashley and Marc Ross discuss what's next for Boris Johnson and UK politics after he survived a no-confidence vote, the US losing the Pacific, Japan and NATO, US and South Korean missile tests, 100+ days of the conflict in Ukraine, the future of warfare is agile drones or aircraft carriers, and what they are reading and watching.

Boris Johnson will find history has unhappy lessons for premiers who survive first blow Oliver Wright

As bad a result for Boris Johnson as a victory can be: The country faces further political paralysis as more than two-fifths of the PM’s colleagues say he should go. Robert Shrimsley

Why we shouldn’t write off Boris Johnson just yet: The cabinet backs him and the rebels are a disparate, rudderless faction — meaning the PM is stronger than you think. Daniel Finkelstein

The Candidate: “What do we do now?” YouTube

US urged to step up in the Pacific after China’s whirlwind trip: Fijians warn the US is at risk of losing influence as Beijing seeks closer ties in the region. “It’s not only about having McDonald’s in Fiji.” WSJ

Dust off that dirty word detente and engage with China: Joe Biden's grand strategy is setting the US and Beijing on a collision course. It's bad foreign policy and terrible domestic politics. Niall Ferguson

Japan's Kishida considers joining NATO summit: Reuters reports Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering attending a summit of leaders from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in late June to spur coordination with the West over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sources familiar with the matter said.

Kishida could become first Japanese leader to attend NATO summit: The Japan Times reports Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to attend a NATO summit slated for late June in Spain, a development that would make him the first Japanese leader to take part in a gathering of the Western alliance, a government source said Saturday. Kishida’s attendance at the June 29-30 event in Madrid is dependent on the domestic political situation leading up to an Upper House election likely to be held July 10, the source said.

US, South Korea fire missiles to sea, matching North’s launches: Politico reports South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the allies’ live-fire exercise involved eight Army Tactical Missile System missiles.

NATO Press Release: Relations with the four Asia-Pacific partners (July 2021): NATO is developing closer relations with its four Asia-Pacific partners, namely Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and New Zealand. In today’s complex security environment, relations with like-minded partners across the globe are increasingly important to address cross-cutting security issues and global challenges, as well as to defend the rules-based international order. Ensuring NATO adopts a global approach is central to the NATO 2030 agenda. NATO’s relations with the four Asia-Pacific partners have a key role to play in this. 

The spy-diplomat sent on Biden’s toughest missions: CIA Director and veteran diplomat William Burns has a unique role on President Biden’s national-security team as a sort of special envoy for difficult problems and “people you don’t want to talk with,” according to a former senior administration official. WSJ

The war in Ukraine: A new nuclear era: With his threats to use the bomb, Russia’s president has overturned the nuclear order. The Economist

Private groups work to bring specialized combat gear to Ukraine: A network of former military veterans is providing commercially available equipment they say is lacking in front-line units engaging Russian forces, often at close range. WP

Butterfly Economics: A New General Theory of Social and Economic Behavior - Paul Ormerod Amazon

Jubilee Trooping the Colour Flypast YouTube

Eat Like a Fish: My Adventures as a Fisherman Turned Restorative Ocean Farmer - Ben Smith Amazon

Borgen - Power & Glory Netflix

The Price of Fish: A New Approach to Wicked Economics and Better Decisions - Michael Mainelli + Ian Harris - Amazon