An ex-colonel from the special forces, minister of state Al Carns has recently been making strategic moves warning that the UK must ready itself for war with Russia.
“The shadow of war is at Europe’s door once more. That’s the reality. We’ve got to be prepared to prevent it,” he stated, in comments that go beyond previous warnings by his boss, the defence secretary.
“Collectively, everybody – what is their role if we get caught in an existential crisis, and what do they need to be aware they need to do and what they can’t do, and how do we mobilise the nation to support a military endeavour?”
It was stark language from the middle-aged Scottish-born MP, who has had an exceptionally swift rise to his role of minister for the military.
And inevitably for a politician with a background in the armed forces, there is conjecture about whether he is future leadership material – as with, at various points, previous colleagues from a service background before him.
This time, however, some governing party MPs think there could be a real prospect of Carns being a contender if and when the opportunity arises.
One of the reasons for that is that Carns has been involved in politics for longer than it seems, as a former military adviser to multiple previous defence secretaries.
But there is also the risk of being over-promoted as a politician with a personal history colleagues think will appeal to the public – without enough thought of whether they have the experience and political instincts to make it to the top.
Carns was born in Aberdeen, and state educated, before enlisting in the Royal Marines in 1999 at the age of 19. He rose through the ranks and was awarded the Military Cross in 2011 “in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan”.
It came as a shock when he resigned from the armed forces after 24 years of service to stand as an MP in Birmingham Selly Oak, just prior to he was due to be promoted to brigadier.
And in a sign he was immediately earmarked as a talent, the prime minister appointed him as a minister for veterans affairs straight after the most recent general election. He was elevated later that year to the more prominent position with a portfolio covering all the military.
With a commanding presence, Carns has been an periodic spokesperson for the government, and has been an effective political attack dog when criticising rival parties over issues of national security.
He has also found time to break a world record this year along with former military colleagues by ascending the world's highest peak in under five days without acclimating on the mountain, aided by xenon gas.
His name was floated as a possible future leader seriously around the time of a leadership election last autumn, when his supporters began sounding out MPs about a run for the job. That did not gain traction, with the prime minister's office firmly backing another candidate.
Since then, profiles of Carns have begun to appear in the media, with one newspaper presenting him as the “Action Man” that some were trying to prevent from ousting the prime minister.
While some MPs think he could be prime ministerial timber, others think he is making himself appear too ambitious when there is no opening at the top. There is also a apprehension about the rapid rise of a high flyer from outside politics.
“It's not proven that being senior in the military equates to being any good at politics any more than being a top prosecutor,” notes one MP. “He is an unknown quantity.”
A seasoned casino analyst with over a decade of experience in online gambling, specializing in slot machine reviews and player strategy.
