I love your attempt to attribute British Empire to altruism, Fletcher.
But there was always a quid in it for the Poms and when y’all couldn’t make a quid out of it any more you folded your tents and went home.
And that includes “East of Suez”. Remember? And the consequences? The US has been footing the bill ever since.
As for the UK’s armed forces…the country has good troops but lacks the equipment and the will to use them effectively.
And that is nothing recent. I used to operate with the Bundeswehr (German Army) in the 60s in a Long Range Recon Patrol Company and we were always incredulous at the poor equipment of the Britsh Army of the Rhine even then.
Basra encapsulates the UK problem quite well. Poor squaddies had bugger all air-support, were more concerned about casualties than doing the job and then betrayed Iraqis and the US by doing an underhanded deal with Iranian proxies and thugs in Basra and slunk out with their tails between their legs.
If the UK goes any more euro-weenie than it is now, it will be of no consequence in the greater scheme of things. Part of the problem, not the solution.