"Trumpian Trojan Horses" is a great way of describing Farage types. looking forward to giant threads from @nialloconghaile.bsky.social soon back peddling on his (almost daily) threads punching down on the British for not "thinking European" or "exceptionalism", which is nonsense, of course. 1/2

"Your Party" take note?

Also by Hannan: “the blue eyed sheiks” of Icelandic Banking will save us (2004). Brexit will be a huge success and we won’t leave the single market (2016) “Covid won’t kill you” (2020)

#Alphabetchallenge #WeekIForInteriors #ClassicMono #BlueskyArtShow #Flowing The flowing staircase at The Museum of Liverpool

The Vines Liverpool #LiverpoolPubs #Liverpool Reposts appreciated

Anyone falling for Tom Steyer for governor of California should review the performance of English water companies. Some things, like utilities, should be govt owned and operated for the public good. Privatization simply means private gain with socialized risk.

I’ll have some of that.

"Where’s the soul searching about why voters might have defected to a challenger from the left? Why, in God’s name, did anyone think it was a good idea to imply a large chunk of Labour’s coalition is, in fact, stupid?" Newsletter out. Bit angry.

Starmer’s UK-EU reset suffering from ‘lack of direction’, MPs warn. Commons Foreign Affairs Committee calls on PM to ‘end secrecy’ around push to improve bilateral relations. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

🚨🚨 Major irony warning: The UK decision to depart from the EU in the "hard" way opting for the TCA was the most severe barrier to EU trade that could be imposed. Now live with it or renegotiate the basic terms of this framework. #brexit www.ft.com/content/05e0...

How does Nigel Farage know that Green voters in Gorton and Denton don't have jobs... Oh of course he doesn't

I spent 6 years of my life writing a PhD about UK policy in Persian Gulf in the 1960s, including the role of the Anglo-American alliance. Key to the Persian Gulf policy of both countries: AVOID a power vacuum under any circumstances &keep Iran&Saudi Arabia from attacking the smaller Gulf States.

Nigel Farage lied multiple times at his press conference today - including saying no-one who voted Green in Gorton and Denton has a job and he's "certain" Reform won most British born voters in the by-election, based on zero evidence, and yet not a single journalist there pushed back on them

Worth a read: (thanks to @gylesnamopaleen.bsky.social )

Stock Markets across the World, ready to open tomorrow morning. h/t @alifarhat79

just a few weeks away from the first brexit review.

Article 776 of Boris Johnsons' Oven-ready-deal marks May 2026 as the first five-year review of the post-Brexit trading relationship. A quick 🧵on how the whole brexit thing is going! TL;DR: (see pic) 1/8

Text of recently agreed EU/India free trade agreement now published policy.trade.ec.europa.eu/eu-trade-rel...

this is quite something. A prominent Labour politician urging everyone in Gorton & Denton (a constituency near Manchester, not a legal firm) to vote for another party.

This is not only relevant for ppl in EU, but for all #Europeans, who value privacy, security & the right to free speak, without the data being subject to US law, US whims or US tech oligarchy. When registering for a profile, you can choose to transfer existing Bluesky to Eurosky, & there is guide. >

🚨🚨Not a very good look for the #UK which seemingly seems to support #Russian #sanctions evasion . 👇👇

I have no doubt that those who trusted Peter Mandelson to do their dirty work can remain fully confident that he is willing to sacrifice himself rather than divulge any embarrassing information to save his skin

Former UK PM Gordon Brown is providing - voluntarily and not for the first time - information to the police about abuses of power relating to the Epstein files. As PM Brown was briefed against by people such as Alistair Campbell and Peter Mandelson as being ‘psychologically flawed’ ….1/

The mens football world cup is on in USA this summer.

we go live to Heard Island:

sorrywhatpardon?

A reminder to everybody: European exporters (or Chinese ones) have never paid the Trump tariffs. Tariffs are paid by the importer. The importers are now likely to ask for refunds.

Kavanaugh is repeating a partisan Trumpian falsehood that his trade "deals" are worth "trillions". Not surprising, but also not a great look for a purported "judge".

lol

HMRC just published payroll data for the UK...and it turns out, Northern Ireland is the *only* region in the UK with positive growth in the labour market. NI is actually outperforming London in the labour market! Which is unheard of in the 103 years history of NI as a UK region. 1/3

Labour have broken their promise of 'Growth' in order to keep their Brexit is Brexit promise. 🤦🏼‍♀️

Congratulations NI. And, the rest of the UK, what the heck are you waiting for?

how can labour keep ignoring the value of the EU single market?

"I don't think young people are inspired by political unionism. They want the best prospects, and are interested in social and ethical issues." Almost 30 years since the GFA, it's refreshing to see how NI has changed. Young people in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 also want #ScottishIndependence & reject Unionism & Far Right.

It just always astonishes me how people like them can be so incredibly, publicly bigoted and still consider themselves, not just progressives, but victimised. Imagine the exquisite martyrdom if someone belittled their ethnic identity in this way. @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com

Don’t knock it. The only thing worse than comically misrepresenting everything we say in absentia, just to make his xenophobic 70s points - the plural is charitable, really, it’s the same point every time - is when he used to *include* us in his long inane threads and demand our congratulations. A x

An European NATO seems inevitible now, with the EU on board with seized russian assets, the UKgov needs to rethink our 10-years old brexit red lines.

Zelenskyy in Munich: “The Ukrainian Army is the strongest army in Europe, thanks to our heroes. “And I think it is simply not smart to keep this army outside NATO.”

I follow a few prominent brexit commentators and you're right, they are stuck in the same arguments from 2016...."wots a proper brexit?" is still being discussed. And lots of cherry picking arguments too.

we're still arguing about "a proper brexit" as if it's 2016. Labours red lines of no to SM, no to CU and no to EU are 10 years old now.

Thirty years before autotune was invented. 🔥

I have asked the BBC to scrutinise + correct the factually inaccurate claims made by Mr Nigel Farage about why net migration fell in 'Political Thinking with Nick Robinson' Here is the link if you want to do something like this. www.bbc.co.uk/contact/comp...

An additional problem domestically is the break up of the UK - Ireland is already planning for it. A border poll is expected within a few years and NI leaving to re-join Ireland means an end to the UK Union. Polls for the May elections (Scotland & Wales) points to pro EU/Independence parties. 2/2

📌 ICYMI — ‘Brexit, Just the Beginning’ The network of ties between the late sex offender, Moscow, and Silicon Valley help explain not only the unexpected political developments in the West in recent years… https://subscribe.bylinetimes.com/edition/83/brexit-just-the-beginning/

I agree, sans Orban, it's hard to see any EU MS vetoing UK. Domestically, I notice the EU is still largely viewed through a 2016 lens. Discussions are still about the SM & CU or a "proper brexit", not what the EU is evolving into today, which is beyond just trade & travel agreements. 1/2

Wow! Palestine Action win judicial review - Guardian report. This is a *big* legal win. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

🚨🚨 "Surprise, surprise": The U.S. is reorienting its foreign funding program to export #MAGA ideology to Europe — and a growing set of far-right and conservative think tanks and political groups are lining up to take Washington’s money. 🧵 www.politico.eu/article/maga...

the UK triggering art 49 would boost both the EU & UK and would be bad for Putin so Orban would likely try to veto your membership application. Gibraltar is largely resolved now, so Spain would have no reason to veto or play politics. Some worry about Farage but I don't think he will get elected.