Saturday, sun, football by the river

An extremely important report from the House of Lords International Agreements Committee looking into parliamentary scrutiny of international treaties and agreements. Worth noting that IAC is the only parliamentary body dedicated to treaty scrutiny. 📖 publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ld...

🔴Shadow Defence Secretary, James Cartlidge MP is asking an urgent question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the violation of Poland’s airspace by Russian drones. Watch live ⬇️ parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...

A good day to follow @theguardian.com Europe Live for reliable information about Polish (and not only) reactions to the overnight violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones. @jakubkrupa.bsky.social provides helpful translations from 🇵🇱 incl political context www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

Poland said it scrambled its own & Nato air defences to shoot down drones over its territory after repeated violations of its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine The first time in the war that Warsaw has engaged Russian assets in its airspace. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

This is a very good piece on the growing tensions and competing foreign policy visions between the Polish President and Prime Minister.

An excellent discussion on recruitment and hiring

There are times when your team will fail, regardless of what they do. This was one of those games. Fuham was doomed to fail. I have never seen a more biased and one-sided refereeing. Makes you question what the point of following this sport is at all

By the river #FFC

According to @wyborcza.pl, the Polish PM is due to appoint his first National Security Advisor. Robert Kupiecki, currently one of the Deputy Ministers in the MFA, is a ‘securocrat’ with both Ambassadorial & MoD experience wyborcza.pl/7,75399,3220...

Next year in Türkiye #NATO

Today is the 80th anniversary of VJ Day. On this day in the Lords in 1945, the State Opening of Parliament took place. It was the first for several years to happen in the Lords chamber itself. Between 1941 and 1944, State Openings took place in the Robing Room, pictured here.

Back to the weekly madness #FollowFulhamAway

An indication that Poland may soon have „a special cell” in the PM’s Chancellery responsible for coordination of defence & security policy Note: The Polish machinery of government currently does not include a National Security Adviser post in the PM’s office Source: @tygodnikpolityka.bsky.social

My thoughts on that Alaska summit from 15mins in here. In short, a clear win for Putin. With an ICC indictment for war crimes hanging over him, shunned by W nations for 3.5 years, he was greeted as a co-equal world leader by Trump without giving anything in return. 1/4 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

#Germany has long been an economic power in Europe, but it is still finding its way as a foreign policy actor. It was therefore really great to talk to @constelz.bsky.social about how Berlin sees the world and its main priorities youtu.be/D2PVSqN1MPQ

I can help! The Home Sec has written to the Commons Home Affairs Cttee (and to me in the same terms). The HAC have published the text here👇You will see that the Home Sec has relied on Section 22(1) of CRAG allowing ratification in exceptional circs. 1/2 committees.parliament.uk/publications...

An excellent briefing on the new EU border systems (launch on 12 October) by @stefanofella.bsky.social

The European Affairs Committee published a letter from the Home Sec on the UK-France Treaty on the 'one in, one out' asylum/immigration scheme, including arrangements re: the parliamentary scrutiny process for the Treaty. The Treaty came into force on 6 Aug committees.parliament.uk/publications...

A good overview by @jakubkrupa.bsky.social of what to expect from the new Polish President, Karol Nawrocki www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

SAFE: Where the EU27 stands on the Commission’s €150 billion defence loans

“We say goodbye without regret” “We welcome without hope” Cover of the latest issue of Polityka @tygodnikpolityka.bsky.social, a Polish centre-left weekly magazine, on today’s presidential transition in Poland.

Did you know you can also follow the work of the House of Lords on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Threads? Plus, see the latest photos on Flickr and find videos of chamber business, committee work, events, State Opening and more on our House of Lords YouTube channel.

"A key legacy of illiberalism turns out to be a series of institutional traps that are difficult to counteract in the short term without resorting to the same methods that established them in the first place." www.journalofdemocra...

With all these Franco-British discussions about state-building in the Near East, now’s the time to read (or re-read) this by @jamesbarr.bsky.social. Not only a brilliant book about the tangled history of the region, but one if the best non-fiction titles. dauntbooks.co.uk/shop/books/a...

I’ve just pre-ordered it and would recommend doing the same to everyone interested in what is happening in Polish politics.

Over 500 pages later, I can wholeheartedly recommend this book. It's an excellent summer read, full of interesting nuggets (e.g., on his intellectual rivalry with Henry Kissinger). Most interestingly, his reflections on Russia have stood the test of time.

Polish takeover #Wimbledon

Thrilled to appointed UK Special Envoy for the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry to the British Museum, and of treasures from their collection to France. The first time this extraordinary artwork has been back to Britain since it was embroidered here almost 1,000 years ago! / www.gov.uk/government/n...

The House of Lords International Agreements Committee published a report into the UK-Mauritius Agreement on the Chagos Archipelago. Conclusion: "It is not perfect. Nevertheless, if it is not ratified, Mauritius is likely to resume its campaign against the UK through international courts".

Later today, the European Affairs Committee will hold an evidence session focusing on the impact of the recent UK-EU summit on fisheries ⏰ 15.30 UK time 📺 committees.parliament.uk/event/24414/...

Want to know more about the implications of the planned UK-EU SPS agreement? Tune in tomorrow at 15:30 UK time for another session of the European Affairs Committee committees.parliament.uk/event/24413/...

House of Lords committees published 41 reports on topics ranging from the future of high streets to national debt, and from the governance of the Union to AI and creative technology scaleups. Learn more about Lords committees ⬇️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyzA...

What

Unfortunately, some factually incorrect info about Poland in yesterday’s @economist.com podcast: - 3/5 MPs to override presidential veto, not 2/3rds - Gov is responsible for foreign policy, new president alone cannot “reverse the course.” podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

“A House of Lords committee said last year said it was "incomprehensible" that Mr Abramovich's promise to use the funds to support Ukraine remained unfulfilled, and that the assets remained frozen” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... UK threatens to sue Abramovich over Chelsea sale - BBC News

Tomorrow ⤵️

There are hot takes and seasonal experts in Polish politics, and then there is Ben, who understands Poland better than many Poles. Skip clickbaits & hot takes. Read Ben. Especially tonight and tomorrow. He knows what he’s talking about.

1/ Very important signal that UK might return to air-launched tactical nuclear forces by buying F-35A and participating in US nuclear sharing arrangements. There had been indications that UK was preparing to be able to host B61 tactical nuclear weapons. www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/a...

Have financial services been sidelined in the UK-EU reset? Next Tuesday (3 June), the European Affairs Committee will hear from Professor Sarah Hall, Miles Celic OBE and Caroline Dawson committees.parliament.uk/event/24275/...

For the past three decades, Poland has shown how much a country can achieve with good economic policy and European integration. But if it elects a hard-right president, it risks throwing it away econ.st/4k63Qo2

Ahead of today’s UK-EU summit, the letter from the Chair of the European Affairs Committee highlighting security, defence and law enforcement issues raised by witnesses of the Committee’s inquiry into the UK-EU reset

First round of presidential election in Poland - with 99% of votes counted, Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski leads with 31.2%, ahead of the opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki at 29.7%. A good snap analysis of what to expect ahead of the second round (1 June) www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

Me: I have to stop buying books; the pile is getting bigger and bigger. Also me: oh but I have to read the biography of one of the greatest minds of his generation, a Polish immigrant turned US National Security Advisor!

The European Affairs Committee has published all the remaining written evidence it has received for the inquiry into the UK-EU reset. All submissions are available here: committees.parliament.uk/work/8830/th...

Saturday, 3pm

House of Lords members are holding a debate to mark the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe and victory over Japan. Members pictured include Earl Attlee, Lord Dubs who came to Britain on the Kindertransport in 1939, and Lord Craig of Radley, former Chief of the Defence Staff.

Foreign and Defence Secretaries have written to @lordrickettsp.bsky.social, the Chair of the European Affairs Committee, informing him that the Council of the European Union has asked the EEAS to negotiate a Security and Defence Partnership with the UK committees.parliament.uk/publications...