And a lesson for both parties is that you can’t hope to out-Reform Reform. Trying alienates other voters from your coalition and doesn’t get you much back.

It won't be social care budgets: it will be SEND, equalities, environment, translation services, etc. And the point will be the fight, not the saving or whether those things are being accurately represented.

If this is what Starmer means when he says “I get it”, heaven help us …

WE CHOSE YOU AS CAPTAIN SO YOU WOULD STOP SAILING TOWARDS THAT ICEBERG WHAT ARE YOU DOING?? I hear you loud and clear, I will sail faster towards that iceberg

"Brexit exposed and deepened the UK’s long-standing uncertainty about its role in Europe and the world. Years later, there’s still no clear vision for its future relationship with the EU." 🖊️ @simonusherwood.bsky.social reflects on uncertainty in UK-EU relations

In a Party crying out for gifted communicators, AB has been carefully distancing himself from the Leadership on a range of issues. www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/and...

Interpretation "I want the world to exist in a different reality which suits my opinions"

This year, uncertainties reigned over the world. Europe’s unity was put to the test, once again. Once again, we stood together. On Christmas Day, we can celebrate the strength of our Union. We will tackle the big tasks lying ahead with hope and confidence. Merry Christmas.

We are providing Ukraine with €65 million to fund school meals. 700,000 Ukrainian pupils will receive hot meals once a day with this support. We help give Ukrainian children the care, safety, and hope they deserve, one meal at a time.

Shocking to see such ministerial complacency in the face of risk that our fragile democracy is further undermined. The issue of reforming party funding was in Labour’s manifesto & they should act now, before what little trust is left is totally destroyed

Iceland's new government says it will look at joining the EU and put a proposal to a referendum by 2027 www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

The Real BBC ‘Impartiality Crisis’ Is Its Constant Platforming of Hard Right Tufton Street Think Tanks bylinetimes.com/2024/12/21/b...

Der Spiegel reports the attack on a Christmas Market in Madgeburg, killing two people, carried out by a man from Saudi Arabia apparently with far right sympathies for the AfD's anti-Muslim agenda. He puts the X owner Elon Musk with Alex Jones and Tommy Robinson as inspiring his journey to violence.

Brockmoor & Pensnett (Dudley) Council By-Election Result: 🌳 CON: 35.4% (+7.0) ➡️ RFM: 30.1% (New) 🌹LAB: 28.9% (-34.7) 🌍 GRN: 3.0% (New) 🔶 LDM: 1.5% (-6.5) 🙋 IND: 1.0% (New) Conservative GAIN from Labour. Changes w/ 2024.

It is a new chapter in the cooperation between friends and allies. Today, with Ministers Igli Hasani and Pirro Vengu, we signed the Security and Defence Partnership between the EU and Albania. I was also pleased to discuss with Prime Minister Edi Rama Albania’s steady progress on the EU path.

Am like a broken record on this, but every conversation with the public shows there is no more slack when it comes to trust in politics. It’s not the usual grumbles, but a sense the whole system is rigged, and the consequence is that people are turning away from the mainstream

Charles Grant @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social‬ said the EU demands would be difficult for Starmer but could lead to long-term economic benefits. “Starmer’s reset is going to require him to do some politically difficult things which will anger the Conservatives & Reform.”

Taking Britain out of the Erasmus+ programme was a huge mistake. Labour must rejoin and accept the EU’s offer of a youth mobility scheme

Brexit law I EU Commission brings UK to CJEU for allegedly not complying with free movement law at the end of 2020 - impacts on withdrawal agreement citizens rights rules ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Read the full analysis here: buff.ly/3ZJ4Zdp

The new trading rules it has pledged to negotiate with the EU will do little to offset the economic damage caused by #Brexit, according to analysis carried out by @johnspringford.bsky.social https://buff.ly/41COocS

A new study has found that the approval of new drugs in England has come at a heavy cost to the health of many others due to a loss of funding.

Kaja Kallas has instructed a senior EU diplomat to directly engage with the provisional government set up by HTS, the Syrian rebel force. The block is maintaining its designation of a terrorist organisation.

"There should be no bishops in HoL" Update:

I'm gonna say it: No one should be criminalised for throwing food at someone.

EU communication satellite network to see light of day with new €10.6 bn deal

Listening to politicians talk about asylum seekers it sounds like their one & only purpose is to keep people out. Which of you is not too much of a coward to say: it is GOOD that people escape from danger. And it is GOOD that the UK can be a place of sanctuary, actually.

CPTPP membership is going to be so “amazing” that Rishi Sunak’s government predicted it would grow the economy by a tiny 0.08% (it later emerged that even that may be an overestimate) and that was after 15 years of membership! Contrast 4% loss of GDP due to Brexit youtu.be/FR4m8rop98E?...

We’ve been enjoying blue skies in Brussels every day for a year now 😜 Today, we’re celebrating our one anniversary on @bsky.app. Thank you for being part of our journey—here’s to many more! 🥳 💙

I have joined with colleagues to sign Sarah Olney's open letter to the Minister for the Constitution and European Union Relations. We must be able to establish a Youth Mobility Scheme with the EU as we begin rebuilding our broken relationship with our closest neighbour.

"Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed" is very much back

Five years ago tonight

I agree with this. And joining as an Associate member of Erasmus+ would not prevent the UK from having a separate global scheme as well (eg. based on the current Turing scheme)

www.politico.eu/article/poll... Poll: Brexit voters would accept free movement for EU single market access 54 percent of those who backed Brexit in 2016 would accept the full free movement of people in return for access to the EU single market.

“For too long, we did not act. Georgia in 2008. Crimea in 2014. And many did not want to believe he would launch all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022. How many more wake-up calls do we need?” Every European citizen should read this speech by NATO SecGen Rutte. www.nato.int/cps/en/natoh...

Mirror, mirror, on the wall do you have the deadliest microbes of all?

Am I tough enough? Hell no! I took a lunch break today.

🔴 After Trump’s Return, Britain Is Next in the Firing Line of Putin’s War On Democracy Elon Musk’s criticisms of Keir Starmer have generated newspaper front pages. But why is the… https://bylinetimes.com/2024/12/12/after-trumps-return-britain-is-next-in-the-firing-line-of-putins-war-on-democracy/

A survey shows UK voters would accept free movement and want closer ties with Europe

EU states on Thursday cleared Bulgaria and Romania to become full members of the borderless Schengen zone from the start of next year, officials said, following a 13-year wait for the two eastern European nations ➡️ u.afp.com/5yNx

This week the @labour4europe.bsky.social held a seminar on our campaign to support a youth mobility deal with Europe with @philbrickellmp.bsky.social - follow the LME on here for clips and more details on how to support.

Im calling for better investment in rural off-road and segregated cycle infrastructure - and no better place to start than the Henley and Thame constituency www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Fully in Schengen - where you belong. europa.eu/!jrMWXC

Majority of Brexit voters ‘would accept free movement’ to access single market. Indeed, EU free movement was never a problem: most migration to Britain is from outside the EU. And EU free movement is conditional on finding a job or proving self-sufficiency www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Next stop: full Schengen accession. We welcome the decision of the Council of giving green light to Romania and Bulgaria to fully join the Schengen family.

British politics in 2024: American public services with Scandinavian taxes Dutch electoral fragmentation with Westminster majoritarianism

However, the political constraints are still there. Like with Gibraltar, on youth visas, if UKG can't face down the naysayers for something that is so obviously in Britain's interests, then we know we don't have a serious partner to work with. It's also tactically inept. 8