Union chief backs calls for a UK-EU customs union ft.trib.al/USXd1eF

Some snippets from the recent @europarl.europa.eu report on the TCA's implementation. Full doc.: www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/docume...

The fundamental problem: 58% of voters want public spending maintained or increased. 67% want taxes to stay at their current level or be cut. In reality, it’s a binary choice. Taxes go up, or spending is cut. That’s it.

Johnson refused to answer specific questions or to provide factual denials to allegations of rule-breaking, while insisting all the rules had been followed at all times. His responses led Acoba’s chair, Isabel Doverty, to find him in breach of the rules. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Useful reminder from Peter Kellner on the problems we refuse to acknowledge are getting better, and the politics of hopelessness that this breeds open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...

July September

A spectacular team worthy of a spectacular city. We've had to wait a long time for no.7 but this incredible treble-winning season has been worth it. Well done all at Bath Rugby for bringing our club back to the very top 🟦⬛️⬜️🏆🏆🏆

After years of denial, it's really striking that a UK government press release has just come out and said that Brexit was, you know, really bad for trade.

The devil will be in the detail, but it's encouraging to see services facilitations at least being discussed. 5y+ on I still find it incredible any UK gov. signed up to a trade deal with the EU as weak on services as the TCA is, given the nature of the British economy

Brexit was a referendum on whether the UK should leave the European Union. The UK has left the European Union. Referendum fulfilled. If the people bleating about "Brexit Betrayal" wanted the Referendum to enshrine their pet policy preferences, they should have included them in the question.

This whole thread on this week's DE election polling is worth reading, but I'll highlight this showing the AfD converting far more non-voters than [previously] mainstream party voters to them. A similar picture has been shown for populist/far-right parties in other countries, but it's under-reported

Long live the BBC. (& please keep up all your valuable work @bbcstever.bsky.social)

PEM is not a customs union, spread the word.

European Council President António Costa tells MEPs that one of three main themes of Sunday's EUCO meeting was a "strategic discussion on Europe’s role in the world", including a "need to renew our relations with the UK"

Sterling close to its highest value against the Euro since the Brexit referendum. Markets appear to be rewarding the prospect of long term British political stability. Not something you’ve been able to say for a while.

When you're an Everton fan & the TV gives you a pre-match content warning

Latest on Protocol/Windsor Framework and Democratic Consent Vote In the absence of First Minister/deputy First Minister doing so, motion has been laid jointly by Alliance/SDLP/Sinn Fein Indication that vote to be held on Tuesday 10 December. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Asking for freer mobility in a way that'll disproportionately benefit the UK seems a reasonable quid pro quo for freeing up mobility in a way that will mostly help EU citizens. Interesting to see the mechanics of how this is negotiated www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

A remarkable stat: Heidi Alexander’s appointment as Transport Secretary means the cabinet is now 100% state-educated for the first time in history.

For a more constructive reply than my sass on why it's unhelpful/misleading for Brits to think of trade with the EU & US as binary, read this excellent thread from Dmitry @explaintrade.com bsky.app/profile/expl...

📣 The latest UK-EU Divergence Tracker has landed! 🚨 It finds that Labour is leading the UK towards closer regulatory alignment with the EU in what "amounts to a step-change in UK policy". Read the full tracker from @jreland.bsky.social now 👇 1/5 ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/uk-e...

MEPs have made a real hash this time of the Commissioner hearings. They misconstrue what to do, targeting political views rather than probity, general competence and European vocation. Parliament is not asked to elect a political coalition government but a capable EU executive.

Malawi is much closer to being food self-sufficient than Singapore, but Singapore is massively more food secure. Please let's not fall for the "food security" thing for a rich open trading nation like the UK, seriously.

Match our tariffs on China otherwise your exports to the US will face tariffs*** Bah

The gov. has confirmed departing Crawford Falconer - brought in in 2017 to lead on post-Brexit trade negotiations with non-EU countries - won't be replaced. @civilserviceworld.bsky.social reported last week his duties will be shared out in DBT questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

Head of the FCDO tells Foreign Affairs Committee that David Lammy has made rebuilding relations with Europe one of 5 top priorities. Later reveals ~50 staff have moved FCDO -> Cabinet Office as part of the Whitehall reorganisation for EU engagement

Motion passed with 48 in favour and 32 against Alliance amendment on 'urgent delivery of a comprehensive and ambitious' UK-EU veterinary and SPS agreement' and an ETA tourist exemption for international visitors to NI also passed (48 v 33) For debate see: data.niassembly.gov.uk/HansardXml/p...

"It is postponed because of the readiness of some of the member states, but it is coming" apparently

If these comments from Mel Stride represent the new Tory Shadow Cabinet as a whole, we basically have a government & opposition with the exact same headline policy on UK-EU trade/relations

Are you interested in the state of UK-EU relations & how they might improve? Great! If you live in/near Bath you can hear me chat about this & more on 27 Nov✍️sign up (free) here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-closer-u...

NI & the Windsor Framework are likely to be in the news again before the end of the year. It's worth reading this short piece on why & why it matters (from @dphinnemore.bsky.social, of course)

It's not the checks that are causing the issue 1 The checks are designed to protect the UK market 2 They are needed cause we left the EU 3 We are doing them based on our own systems and resources now, not EU's 4 We have redesigned the process /1 www.theguardian.com/business/202...

I'll be here a little more & on another platform rather less. I'm @JohnSMcStravick on all social media I use. Feel free to give me a follow anywhere you can find me