Very economical, efficient!

this is so wonderfully weird, give her all the golds 🥇

Statement by von der Leyen after meeting Zelenskyy ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

With the deaths of John Hemingway and John Cruickshank, who else is still with us who is widely known for their service in WWII? That is known by way of fame, rather than by personal knowledge of friendship and family.

Editorial cartoonist Daniel Boris shows that flattery from a veteran KGB agent — especially if you have an easy narcissistic mark — will get you everything.

At least there's one British Conservative who still has a spine www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

This is magical.

BREAKING: Ontario Premier Doug Ford says they are removing ALL American drinks from the market. The LCBO has a monopoly on drinks distribution in Ontario. Trump just torched $1 billion of US exports. Holy shit.

Frighteningly spot-on.

Time to turn off the taps. Not a single bottle of American wine, beer or bourbon should be sold anywhere in Canada. From here on in I will only drink "freedom" wines from Canada, France or Spain. As for the beer? It's shit anyways. True. North. Strong. Free. @strongasfuck

Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves claim to be looking everywhere for opportunities for growth but are ignoring the solution right under their noses. A new UK-EU Customs Union would turbocharge our economy, tearing down the trade barriers holding British businesses back.

This is, by some distance, the most unforgivably stupidest thing the government is doing. An easily sellable proposal, which would actually help Brits, and unlocks meaningful negotiation. Irrational and anti-growth.

Quite. Well said, @annettedittert.bsky.social.

Seeing as everyone is writing Brexit anniversary pieces, I thought I'd give it a go. Brexit for 🇪🇺 didn't begin in. 2020 or even 2016. Brexit began during the financial crisis, with UK blackmail. A 🧵

Constitutions, including written ones, are ultimately only as strong as the institutions responsible for upholding them. If leaders & governments are determined to defy the law & the constitution, who will stop them? The legislature? Not if weak or craven.

And the good reason for turning this idea down instantly and out of hand is …?

President-elect Trump has conspicuously refrained from condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yesterday he did not rule out using military force to re-acquire the Panama Canal and to take control of Greenland (under the Danish crown for six centuries).

This sounds uncomfortably like sober reality. But it doesn’t mean that the UK has to stick forever with trying to make the 2020 model of Brexit ‘work’.

As I recall, the core Welsh part of Wales also voted remain; but a lot of English people live in Wales too (just over the border with England).

Well said, @helenebismarck.bsky.social !

Austria took a while, after WW1, to get over not being a big Empire/ Kingdom any more (‘kaiserlich und königlich’; Franz Joseph etc). Healing began slowly after recovery of independence with the Staatsvertrag (1955). In between, there was - sadly - an Austrian called Adolf Hitler. This takes time.

Excellent.

A jury of 12 of his peers who heard all of the evidence and had the opportunity to hear his lawyers argue against it unanimously agreed that he was guilty. Prosecutors can't make that happen, nor can judges. That's our criminal justice system in action. The jurors found Trump guilty.

The Trier Gold Hoard is the largest #Roman gold hoard ever discovered. It comprises more than 2650 aurei (gold coins) with a total weight of about 18.5 kilogram. The aurei were hidden in 196AD during the revolt of Clodius Albinus against emperor Septimius Severus. 🧵1/2 🏺 AncientBluesky #archaeology

Yes. Quite.

Bravo, Marco - onore a te d’avvere trovato e pubblicato così.

I love the idea of the 2016 referendum now being ‘constitutional detritus’ (in preceding post in thread). We’re now in 2025. Nearly five years have elapsed since the UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. This is good advice. Please would HMG think through what (new) relationship would make best sense?

A very good thread. I would just demur at the proposal that article 50 TEU should be changed so that MS withdrawal of notice of intention to leave would require unanimous agreement of all other MS (thus reversing CJEU decision in Case C-621/18 Wightman).

The Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, has denied Trump’s motion to set aside his guilty verdict. He will be sentenced at 9:30 am on January 10. www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFs/p...

Thank you @stevepeers.bsky.social, for flagging this up. As common-or-garden junior counsel at the Irish Bar (since 1986), I am looking forward immensely to pleading this appeal with my Dutch colleagues.

Warm congratulations to Ashley, a long-standing colleague in the Fellowship, on this well-deserved recognition!

Thank you, King’s. However, in the interests of historical accuracy I should point out that the first woman AG and first woman member of the CJEU was Simone Rozes (France, 1981). I was the fourth female AG and the only woman put forward to serve by the UK during its EU membership.

Pointless, ineffective, cruel, legally offensive - and hugely expensive

A very interesting debate in the HoL the other day on the rule of law. Lots of pertinent observations on the international rule of law, including that the RoL should not include commitment to complying with international law ... hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2024-1...

🔎 Read the Christmas statement from @anandmenon.bsky.social on UK in a Changing Europe and its future 👇 ukandeu.ac.uk/announcement...

Two decades together. With the enlargement of 2004, we became a bigger and stronger political, economic and cultural Union – creating more opportunities for citizens across the EU. This wasn’t just the birth of a larger Union; it was the birth of a new era. ℹ️ commission.europa.eu/20-years-tog...

Very delighted to have been given the opportunity with @gerardmcdermott.bsky.social to work with you during your year as Treasurer in 2026. It’s going to be great.

One graphic says it all.

Thanks for the good, clear thread. As I see it, a youth mobility scheme is clearly in the interests of both the EU and the UK (win-win). And yes, like you I see really big advantages for young Brits!

For pro-Europeans looking to reform the UK to make it fit for membership, here's an explainer on the Irish voting system. It's very clever It's simplified for kids, even a Reform voter could get it. Make sure to vote #FPTP #STV #FairVoting #Brexit #Oireachtais cdn.rasset.ie/hls-vod/2024...

Not sure the UK government realises that every time that youth mobility denial is used the EU takes the reset slightly less seriously, and more diplomacy is needed to stop attitudes hardening. And that this lowers chances of crafting a good negotiating package as current priority.

Excellent, @number10cat.

I think you’ve nailed it, Niall!

As of today, Mount #Fuji remains snowless, marking the first time in 130 years of recorded history. Typically, the first snowfall occurs around Oct 2nd, with the previous latest snowfall record being Oct 26th (1955, 2016). First snow is expected next week. 🧪 🗻 🌡 www.theguardian.com/world/2024/o...