Writer
Andrew Farran
Andrew Farran in his younger days was a diplomat, Commonwealth civil servant and law academic (Monash). His subsequent business interests included international trade, intellectual property and publishing, and wool growing. He was a regular contributor to Pearls & Irritations from 2017 – 2020. Writes extensively on international affairs and defence, contributing previously to major newspapers (metropolitan and rural). Formerly director of major professional publishing company; now of a major wool growing enterprise.
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ANDREW FARRAN. Defence ‘culture’ holding back balanced defence force
An analysis of Australia’s strategic culture, as distinct from posture, might have offered alternative or expanded answers to how we have got to where we are and how Australia should be defended in future – comment by Alan Behm on Hugh White’s “How to Defend Australia”. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. War games – more than burnt fingers
“Are policy makers driving policy or is it the country’s spooks and their ideological soulmates in the so-called security establishment whose views are amplified in the conservative media?” (Tony Walker, The Age) Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. ‘America First’: Strategic Choices
President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies are shaking established structures. Regardless of Trump’s future they are unlikely to be reversed anytime soon. His split with China opens unprecedented opportunities for Australia. Indeed a brave new world, if we have the intelligence and the skills to navigate the transition along with our regional partners. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit – the final breaking point awaits?
After a brief break the Gods got stirring again and it is only a matter of time before the British political system to all intents and purposes can be said to have gone irretrievably mad. Or can that yet be turned around? Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. ASPI – a house divided?
It is heartening to observe that the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, a body heavily subsidised by the Commonwealth Government to provide objective strategic advice, is beginning to open itself up to contestable thinking on critical strategic issues. Perhaps the government, of whatever persuasion, may be about to get its money’s worth. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Extending the way to a viable Brexit?
Is the path to Britain’s withdrawal from the EU now finally clear, some three years after the Referendum that decided it should leave – to regain national sovereignty, to control its borders, and to conclude its own trade agreements with the rest of the world? Deadlines have come and gone – 28th March, 12th April, Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. PM May’s Brexit blind-sided by Parliamentary Speaker
Prime Minister May’s Brexit was on course to be delivered on 29th March as scheduled until the resubmission of the previously thwarted Withdrawal Agreement was blocked by the Speaker John Bercow, citing a 1604 convention last used in 1920 to the effect that legislation previously rejected cannot be resubmitted in the same Parliamentary session unless Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. The UK will make Brexit on 29th March
The UK will make Brexit on 29th March if the government is to avoid a huge humiliation and unforgivable damage to its economy, not to mention the nation’s future diplomatic standing and credibility. This appears to have got through to Theresa May, the UK PM, as the civil service is working day and night to Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: Game Plan upended?
As the deadline of 29th March approaches what could be the UK Prime Minister’s game plan to get her deal across the line and avoid the chaos and disruption that a crashing out Brexit would entail? She would want to avoid a ‘golden duck’ – and make a comeback from her unprecedented defeat in the Commons Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. BREXIT: It’s all about the Tories
The recent series of procedural votes in the British Parliament did not provide the hoped for route through the impasse for an unruffled Brexit. The hustle and bustle over the next few weeks will be more theatre than substance, deliberately, as Britain moves inexorably out the EU door, facilitated not surprisingly by Prime Minister May’s Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: Running out of time or anticipating a delay?
What explains an unprecedented, disastrous political defeat ever of a government on the floor of the British Parliament (432/202, a loss by 230 votes), followed within a day by its reaffirmation in government – prevailing over a no-confidence motion by a healthy margin of 19 votes? Essentially the Tories still cannot agree on an outcome Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: Going for Broke?
Uproar and acrimony has resumed, even more intensely, over Brexit at Westminster this week on the resumption of Parliament following the Christmas break. The expectation, or rather hope, that members might have softened their hard lines after a due period of reflection and deeper thinking, in the ‘national interest’, have been sorely disappointed. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit – Putting off the inevitable
The British Government is in total disarray, thrashing about for a way to minimise public outrage when the country crashes out of the EU without a deal on 29 March, which now appears inevitable. Its energies are now being devoted to planning for that catastrophe. What is remarkable is how little understanding its Ministers and Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: Reenter the Grand Old Duke of York.
The Grand Old Duke of York was said to have marched his troops right up the hill and then marched them down again. At least he is supposed to have had some (loyal) supporters. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. War and the national Interest.
Since the Korean War in the early 1950s, the US has committed a series of political and strategic misjudgements in its war decisions. Does this give us confidence about its future decisions and for a policy of going along with those decisions even when they do not directly involve our national interests? Nationalism and irrationality Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: Law versus Process as next drama erupts
Theresa May suffered three defeats in just a few hours in the British Parliament this Tuesday which doesn’t auger well for her EU Withdrawal Agreement next Tuesday. The various coalitions that have been the drivers to date may not hold well together thereafter. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: Facing the Brexit cliff even when a viable path beckons
The UK is facing its Brexit cliff and will only have itself to blame if it stumbles over. The EU has done its best to accommodate UK requirements but has now lost patience. No renegotiation is in prospect. However a path to a mutually beneficial modus vivendi is now clear if the UK will take Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: The Beginning of the End
Thursday 15th November was a most extraordinary day at Westminster where a besieged lady tenaciously stood her ground at the despatch box and stared down some hundreds of howling Parliamentary interlocutors (mostly of her own party) and remained totally unfazed in defending the 585 page Withdrawal Agreement she had negotiated with the European Union. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: When is a horse not a horse? When it is a camel.
This note was prepared following a five hour emergency Cabinet meeting last night accepting the deal with the EU and a brief statement without details by the British PM, Theresa May, declaring that the draft Agreement was the best deal possible, was in the best interests of the British people, and better than no deal. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. What is it to be with China – cooperation or conflict? A response to Peter Jennings of ASPI.
In a prominent article in The Weekend Australian’s ‘Inquirer’ section on 3/4 November, headed “Canberra alone must control our China ties”, the director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Peter Jennings, castigates the Victorian government, a large delegation of leading Australian businesses and the Australian Technology Network of Universities for having the temerity of engaging Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: The bus can be avoided after all!
It had been expected that Prime Minister Theresa May would be thrown under a bus, figuratively speaking, this week, next week, or sometime soon. If this has not happened it would be that no potential usurper has a plan that could secure passage through Parliament. Meanwhile, it is said, she is staring down her political Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Rendering ‘rules-based order’ to meaninglessness.
The constant reiteration in speeches of a “Rules-Based Order” is reducing the concept to relative meaninglessness, lacking either content or policy. There is already in existence a rules-based order which is undergoing change. The question is: what kind if change should that be. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Fearing a Cold War with China!
There are fears that the Trump Administration may, with the urging of America’s military/business and security complex and support from middle America, extend its trade war with China into a new Cold War. This would be unlikely to gain substantive international backing though were it to happen it would pose an uncomfortable dilemma for Australia Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: Calamity awaits the world trading system.
The route to overcoming any impasse in the UK/EU Brexit negotiations may involve riding roughshod over their respective obligations under the global trading system, in particular the WTO. This, together with President Trump’s on-going assault on the system, threatens to bring it down altogether – with nothing better in its place. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. The US goes after the International Criminal Court
It is monstrous and ill conceived that the US National Security Adviser to President Trump, the notorious underminer of international institutions, including those with clear humanitarian purposes, one John Bolton, should get on his high horse to denounce the ICC whose jurisdictional powers are as far removed from the United States as are the terms Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit – August holiday time for urgent reflections to avoid disaster
In that other hemisphere August is a time for holidays and reflection. For some it may be more a matter for reflection as they contemplate the virtual stalemate surrounding the UK’s quest to be rid of the EU. The fact is that having so inextricably integrated itself with the EU over so many decades extrication Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Special Forces: The Downside – Impossible missions out of country and out of culture
The Australian Special Forces are again in the firing line for alleged misconduct in combat, in relation to which the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force is expected to hand down a report in the near future. The number of alleged incidents are more than previously believed, though relatively small overall. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. BREXIT. Where’s Boris?
It was mid-afternoon on the Monday (9th July) and the assembled Eastern European Foreign Ministers had visited London to hear an address by Foreign Minister Boris. But where was he? Boris had a major distraction from his day job. Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. South Pacific Islands responding to security concerns
The Pacific Islands Forum will announce a new Biketawa Plus Declaration at its forthcoming Ministerial summit with fresh directions and priorities for members in the face of external pressures on the region, not least from China and Russia. There will be particular attention to security issues in keeping with good governance and the rule of Continue reading »
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ANDREW FARRAN. Brexit: All in the National Interest
British PM Theresa May is presently holding the strategic high ground on Brexit after the day-long meeting with her whole Cabinet at Chequers last Friday. To her formerly disputing colleagues she could announce that evening: “Collective responsibility is now fully restored”. Continue reading »
