French PM Sebastian Lécornu announces France will go all electric. Is spirit of @edmilliband.bsky.social crossing Channel? Cheap EVs. No more gas boilers. After 1973 oil shock France invested heavily in nuclear. When French state decides to do something it mobilises effectively. Far right opposes

Starmer says U.K. hit by external shocks - 2008 financial crash Trump, Brexit. He said 2022 his policy was to “make Brexit work.” He can’t because Brexit only works by damaging U.K. economy. But Brexit policy is 100% in his hands, not Trump’s, global banks. When will he tell truth? Show leadership?

Greece convulsed by biggest political corruption scandal under rightist government in recent history. To change headlines gov announces social media ban for under 15s. BBC obliges with soft Today interview as politics in Europe no longer reported @mishaglenny.bsky.social @johnkampfner.bsky.social

encompass-europe.com/comment/euro... @denismacshane.bsky.social

BBC reports Starmer going to Gulf. French radio on Macron bringing together 15 govs on next steps and saying no peace if Lebanon excluded. London media ignores what Paris doing, saying & vice versa. Same old, same old. Europe still can’t speak w one voice @emilythornberry.bsky.social

10.35 EMR train Sheffield-St Pancras today like an Ukraine refugee train.Mothers standing clutching babies, toilets not working, folk sitting on luggage. Reason Euston closed. This announced 6 months ago. Guys who run railways need to be replaced @heidialexander.bsky.social @ruthcadbury.bsky.social

Also Macron, speaking for many, has this explanation: "When you want to be serious, you don’t go around saying the opposite every day of what you just said the day before. And perhaps you shouldn’t talk every day.”

On LBC 0830 with great @iaindale.bsky.social on U.K. turning away from US as result of Trump-Netanyahu adventurism in Middle East now hurting every household

On Farming Today Welsh lamb farmer says Muslim Eid festival very good news for sales. Interesting given anti-Muslim prejudice promoted by Farage Cult or idiot Tory MPs like N Timothy endorsed by Badenoch

Quelle surprise. When will D Mail/Tel start reporting truth about Farage Cult? @christopherhope.bsky.social

In Paris 🇫🇷 government announce help for PMEs hit by Trump-Netanyahu massive hike in petrol, diesel pump prices. Limit of fill up of 30 litres

Forget Starmer now Trump blames Macron’s wife for France not joining US-Israel war Trump imitating a French accent said Emmanuel Macron's wife "treats him extremely badly". Childish, sexist , vulgar. But Badenoch and Farage support him

This morning the four most admired letters showing best in America form NASA and the four letters showing worst in America are MAGA

On Newsnight @davidrennie.bsky.social predicted Trump’s much heralded speech would just be more bluster. And so it turned out. On French radio they report on London conference of nations today on Strait if H. As Badenoch + Farage just repeat Trump lines Starmer for U.K. showing leadership

Central banks usually raise interest rates to counter inflation on the ground that this dampens demand and lessens pressure on prices. But now, externally driven higher energy prices are already dampening demand. Raising interest rate rates would help create a recession. bbc.com/news/article...

25 years ago Tariq Ramadan the Swiss born Muslim Brotherhood ideologue was the darling of BBC, Guardian London bien-pensants ignored the women in France, Switzerland he had abused. Now a French court has sent him to prison for 18 years for rape. Have Gdn or BBC reported this? Guess

Grade is show biz not journalism

This weekend saw biggest mass mobilisation since election as half a million assembled marched in London against the hate politics of Farage Cult in the @uktogether.bsky.social alliance of 500 organisations representing 15 million. BBC ignored this great [email protected] Why?

Nice @labourlist.bsky.social piece by @chriswardmp.bsky.social on Labour reconnecting w Europe. At 2022 @labour4europe.bsky.social Meeting in Irish Embassy Sir k said his policy was “To Make Brexit Work” same words as Theresa May. Time to ditch this oxymoron and say en clair Brexit Bad 4 Britain

Pointless disco on Today about asylum seekers. U.K. is attractive as we are only nation in Europe sans ID cards, where employers do not have to discuss with unions who they hire, where low wages paid cash in hand is routine. @hannahwilkinson.bsky.social

Yes I was there along with many 1000s of Labour and trade union activists. But if I may politely pont the March was for tolerance and against extremist lies something the new far left Greens have yet to incorporate into their thinking. Folk like Tony Benn and Jeremy Corbyn kept Tories in power

'Tens of thousands join ‘No Kings’ protests in US cities against Trump' reports S Times. Does paper report the more than 10s of 1000s of Brits who marched in London yesterday saying No to Farage and Hate Politics? Just asking @joshglancy.bsky.social @gabrielpogrund.bsky.social

Lovely to be with beating heart of my country as 1000s assemble against racism and far right

Neat comparison by @patrickmaguire.bsky.social between Ed M as a British de Gaulle as he wants U.K. to be independent of foreign fossil fuel domination. Prob is 1) U.K. owns, produces fossil fuel energy from N Sea unlike France 2) de Gaulle mocked EEC but used it to promote France unlike Labour

David Winnick stalwart Labour MP dies at 92. Completely independent. Uninterested in office, becoming Sir or Lord. Supported toppling Sadam but critical of disaster of post Sadam U.K.-US occupation of Iraq www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

My tribute and a great story about Lionel Jospin, grand fromage of French Socialist party government who has died Labour in U.K. and Socialists in France in power 25 years but no common language www.eureporter.co/world/france... @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com

Sure he doesn’t mean to but in FT @stephenkb.bsky.social delivers eloquent appeal for means test to help people stay warm rather than control energy prices and profiteering. Older people still living in homes they bought 40 years ago will be interrogated on their savings. Vote winner for Labour?

the outgoing centre-left Danish PM thought she would be rewarded for her handling of Ukraine, Trump’s Greenland idiocy but all politics is local I.e, domestic and voters said she had not attended to their needs. Her much touted being tough on migrants not enough. Any lessons for U.K and Starmer?

In FT @stephenkb.bsky.social eulogises John Major. I liked him as his idiocy in going for U.K. opt-out from EU’s very moderate social policy converted Unions and Labour to virtues of European partnership leading to longest ever period of Labour rule in history. Now Labour nervous Nellie’s on Europe

Anne Elizabeth Moutet good on Today on French elections yesterday. Mais Edouard Philippe is just a good Mayor of Le Havre in average year. The irresistible rise of Far Right in U.K. , France and also yesterday in Slovenia has been resisted. Keep an eye on François Hollande in wings

If Trump continues to bomb Iran Teheran says it will target giant desalination plants that supply region’s drinkable water - @franceinfo

Why Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, Orban the global nationalist far right want Slovenia elections tomorrow to go their way. My Indie take. Why Slovenia’s election matters far beyond its borders www.independent.co.uk/voices/slove... @henryjfoy.ft.com @labour4europe.bsky.social @rachelblakemp.bsky.social

On Today @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social speaks sense. But he’s of Labour generation locked itself into anti Europeanism. Today he couldn’t mention Europe but if we leave behind anti-Europeanism we would find allies and friends as shown in 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 🇯🇵 Strait of Hormuz proposal @labourlist.bsky.social

Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal means U.K. farmers, fishers have to get millions of health certificates to sell meat, dairy, fish into Europe at annual cost of £210 mn in direct fees - The Times. Why does no one challenge the costs of Brexit to hardworking U.K. SME’s? @labour4europe.bsky.social

So Joe Kent has links to neo-Nazis and is a conspiracy theorist says Anshell Pfeffrr one of best journalists in ME on R4. So why did Trump name a Neo-Nazi conspiracy theorist to a senior administration position? Who recommended a Neo Nazi for a US government leadership post?

Just heard @andyburnham.bsky.social sound authoritative on Today talking about doubling growth in Greater Manchester and letting older people use public transport before 0930. Meanwhile Angela Rayner made a speech.

Happy St Patrick’s Day. As little schoolboy in Kenton every March an aunt in Drogheda posted a little cardboard box with soggy shamrock inside which was pinned to my school blazer. Often wondered what Shamrock tasted like? Does this still happen?

As ever @stephenkb.bsky.social v good in FT on Badenoch’s weird use of words in JC on Boko Haram, Israel etc as she whips up anti-Muslim vote. But she is not being sectarian so much as foolishly inserting communalism into U.K. politics. Communalist politics more poisonous, dangerous than sectarian

Hilarious as Trump twice refers to President Gavin “Newscum” as he says Dem has cognitive difficulties. bsky.app/profile/robs...

Richard Tice has questions to answer ⬇️

In 2022 Starmer told Labour Movement for Europe reception in Irish Embassy he would "Make Brexit work"(same words as Theresa May). Now Rachel Reeves says “Brexit has not been good for our country, for growth, for prices in the shop”. Does Starmer still believe in Brexit? @patrickmaguire.bsky.social

Tomorrow 43 million French citizens cast vote to choose local councillors. Important test of party support ahead of presidential election in year’s time. As in 🇬🇧 21st century 🇫🇷 politics confused, contorted by rejection of 20th century parties sans new ones enduring. Ethnonationalism new factor

French soldier killed others wounded by pro Iranian terrorist drone attack in Iraq Kurdistan where French army training Kurd soldiers. Iran says France is target following Macron sending aircraft carrier and frigates to defend allies against Iran attacks.

On Sky shortly on Mandelson

7 killed by Israel in missile attack on south Beirut. Macron warns Tel Aviv against land invasion of Lebanon.

This by @peterkellner.bsky.social is best I’ve read on the election losing unforced errors of Labour PMs Wilson-Starmer www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/725... All better as written by a Labour sympathiser not DMail/Tel obsessive

Excellent by Nick Cohen. New owners of Daily Telegraph very strong against Jew hate and EU hate

Trump on Starmer a model of decorum compared to LBJ awaiting a visit by Harold Wilson who said ‘we have got enough pollution around here already without Harold coming over with his fly open and his pecker hanging out, peeing all over me’ ! @mrjamesob.bsky.social @philipstephens.bsky.social

In eigener Sache: Axel Springer kauft britischen „Telegraph“ welt.de/kultur/medien/… via @welt This is Springer Verlag statement on purchase of D Telegraph. It states new owner "rejects political exremism". Hmm. D Tel has been out on far right in its obsessive attacks on Europe.