Here's why Kemi Badenoch is so keen to leave the ECHR. It doesn't seem to be what most people want, but it does seem to be what most Tory and Reform supporters want poll June 2025

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli... Kemi Badenoch is expected to reveal that the Tories will support withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) after a review she commissioned recommended it

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/dear-kemi-... Most of the UK’s friends and allies would far rather see a UK government playing fast and loose with bits of the ECHR – like on immigration and veterans - than actually leaving the Convention.

Farage will enrich Europe with Scottish independence and the collapse of half of Europe's nuclear defences against Putin. If the SNP saw sense on Europe's nuclear defences the relationship between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK could be warm and both countries defendable.

www.politico.eu/article/nige... Do read the article Then ask - why this is interesting? It is Reform seriously engaging with economic management issues after having produced a pie in the sky manifesto which The Economist slammed for costing £100 billion in extra debt

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/recognitio... Trump is ready to see Arab peacekeepers in Gaza to police a ceasefire That could be a step towards a Palestine state But Netanyahu could destroy the dream forever, with annexation of Gaza and yet more settlements on the West Bank

Recognition of a Palestinian state means recognition of the right of Palestinians to a future free of Hamas and free of Israeli occupation What is disgraceful is Netanyahu's misinformation about recognition And his knee-jerk accusation of anti-semitism levelled at all critics

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Trump says he will not allow Netanyahu to annex the West Bank At least that is a step in the right direction from Trump Has the recent wave of Palestine State recognitions nudged Trump in this direction?

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/recognitio... There is no reason for Hamas to feel anything but dismay at support by the UK for a process that would see Hamas disarmed and removed from any governance role in Palestine Of course Hamas have put a brave face on things But they are fooling nobody

This appears to be a huge change in Trump's position on Ukraine

Recognition of a Palestinian state is no gift to Hamas Starmer has recognised the right of Palestinians to a demilitarised state in which Hamas will have no place He is looking for an outcome which could work for Palestinians and Israelis alike if they opt for peace instead of war Blog soon.

www.thetimes.com/world/middle... Britain’s recognition of the Palestinian state is a “nightmare” for Hamas rather than a gift, and could help to end the war in Gaza, a former head of Israel’s domestic secret service has said

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/starmer-sh... My take on Palestine recognition - it is a diplomatic move whose timing makes it counterproductive Hate to admit it, but without the US - which means without Trump - the 2-state solution is going nowhere More gesture politics than substance?

www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/uk-news... Badenoch taking the line that reflects Netanyahu's and Trump's. Tory supporters split on this, with 26% backing recognition and 34% against But Badenoch's line most closely aligned to Reform supporters who oppose recognition by 45% to 17%

yougov.co.uk/politics/art... Brits support recognising Palestinian statehood by 44% to 18% Support high among Green (68%), Labour (62%) and Lib Dem voters (60%) Tory voters tend to oppose recognising P'ian statehood by 34% to 26%, with Reform voters more emphatically doing so by 45% to 17%

Where is Badenoch trying to take the Tories? Recent YouGov polls shows only 1/3 of Tories are against recognition of Palestine state and more than 1/4 support Plus.. recent poll shows most Brits still back net zero

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... First the Russian drones into Poland Then into Romania Now Russian fighter jets spend 12 minutes cruising around in Estonian airspace In the past NATO's response to such provocations would have been led b the US Will Trump's relaxed approach make Putin more daring?

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/dear-kemi-... Most of the UK’s friends and allies would far rather see a UK government playing fast and loose with bits of the ECHR – like on immigration and veterans - than actually leaving the Convention.

www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/... Reality check: approximate compliance is the norm for treaties, ECHR included, so the UK cutting itself some slack should not be off the table Plus national deviation from int'l court judgments can be more creative tension than curtains for the rule of law (Discuss)

I wrote in @bylinetimes.bsky.social that Putin does not believe Trump would intervene if there were military incidents on the borders of the Baltics and Russia, but he will be in no rush to test that hypothesis I was wrong Putin is ready test Trump and NATO now + with key NATO player Poland

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/d... Just listened to latest Double Jeopardy podcast covering, amongst other things, illegal migration and options for change/withdrawal re EHCR and Refugee Convention. Strongly recommend.

Reform's Nigel Farage has confirmed he too will be sending Afghan asylum seekers back to the Taliban - including women The penalty for illegal entry into the UK is a year in prison - not torture, rape or death No halfway decent Brit needs a copy of the ECHR to work that out.

As Derrick Wyatt writes in @bylinetimes.bsky.social, Russia's invasion of Ukraine was never about NATO, but about Putin's ambition to restore the empire he thinks Russia is entitled to. The only thing NATO threatens is Putin's imperialist designs on Eastern Europe. bylinetimes.com/2025/08/22/r...

Former DPP Ken Macdonald has already broken ranks on the Refugee Convention, and I am sure politicians of all parties will be considering these kinds of options. So others should be analysing them too. What do experts think? derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/how-starme...

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/how-starme... The Refugee Convention blurs the distinction between legal migrants and illegal migrants. For millions of UK voters, that distinction is paramount. Review of the Refugee Convention by Labour would signal serious intent, both at home and abroad.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... I want to make a wishy-washy point here - without prejudging the decision the High Court will have to make soon about whether proscribing Palestine Action as a terrorist group is legally correct - here's the point - these people don't look like terrorists.

ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/d... The impact of ECHR on UK immigration overrated ECtHR stops one UK deportation every 4/5 years UK courts - most recent figures are for 2021 - blocked 2.5% of deportations on "family life" grounds @joellegrogan.bsky.social @alicedonald.bsky.social & Victoria Adelmant

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Farage demeaned himself in Washington Can you imagine any US presidential candidate coming to London to slag off America and plead with UK politicians to use their influence to get the US back on track? The UK wants to be a friend of the US, not its fawning puppet.

news.sky.com/story/drill-... Drill, maybe, drill: Why North Sea oil and gas will not meet UK energy needs Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wants to maximise North Sea extraction but reserves are in decline and will not cut the cost of the energy transiti

Byline Times has been banned by Kemi Badenoch from the Tory Party conference - I knew Reform were committed to the MAGA playbook, but still hoped the Tories might emerge as something better. See @adambienkov.bsky.social ......

bylinetimes.com/2025/08/22/r... As Donald Trump and Putin’s aim of forcing Volodymyr Zelensky to cede 20% of Ukraine to Russia gets nearer achievement, expect Putin apologists to argue that Zelensky could have avoided the war by abandoning his NATO ambitions. Nobody should believe them.

www.politico.eu/article/prep... US troop withdrawals from Europe certainly follows from European countries taking more responsibility for their own defence But don't forget the nukes The less the US has at stake in Europe in terms of personnel and assets, the less credible the US nuclear umbrella

The countdown to #PartyConferences2025 is on! 🌹🔶 This year, FGF will be heading to Labour and Lib Dem Conferences with a packed agenda exploring the biggest political and delivery challenges facing the UK. Check out our programme, launched today 🚀 www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/party-confer...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... No hint as to who is behind cyber attack on Jaguar Land Rover But we know who is probably to blame 2 weeks ago Norway's intelligence service accused Russia of taking control of a Norwegian dam in April As NATO chief has said - we are not at war, but not at peace either

Catch-up from May: Twitter is not the real world, but it is more like it than Bluesky veriangroup.com/en-gb/news-a...

@stevepeers.bsky.social Thanks for comments. Will take a break on this for a while. Perhaps come back another day.

derrickwyatt.substack.com/p/how-starme... If the UK and its neighbours withdrew from the Refugee Convention, doors would not be closed to refugees, but a new balance could be sought between their needs and aspirations, and those of the populations of the host countries in which they seek refuge.

The Refugee Convention gives the world a right to asylum in the UK, if they make it across the Channel Leaving the Convention could make lawful routes to the UK the only way to claim asylum, and see illegal entrants being deported to safe countries A better deal for Brits and refugees is possible.

Could Starmer be ready to call time on the Refugee Convention? Perhaps some EU countries would agree. Blog soon.

news.sky.com/story/labour... Reform UK on 28%, Labour on 20%, and Conservatives on 17% Is it the small boats? The economy? Yes, and yes....

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Is Trump copying Putin's tactics in Moldova and Georgia to turn the Greenlanders away from Denmark? As long as Trump believes that it would be OK for the US to annex Greenland, can he really see anything wrong in what Putin is doing in Ukraine?

'An unjust peace in Ukraine may bring respite for millions of brave Ukrainians, but no true peace for Europe, for whose freedom Ukrainians have been fighting since 2022.' Derrick Wyatt, via @bylinetimes.bsky.social

🔴‘Let No One Believe the Lie That Zelensky Could Have Avoided War by Spurning NATO’ It’s time to bury this myth for good, argues Derrick Wyatt bylinetimes.com/2025/08/22/r...

www.politico.eu/article/dona... No Ukraine/Russia summit says Moscow What now? Trump doesn't dare kick Putin for reasons best known to Trump. So the risk is he will go back to kicking Zelensky What a car crash this all is.