Trump is a known racist and a known s?*t stirrer who combined these two passions to deliberately cause offence and to distract from the real news of the day. When Trump says look over there, don’t.

This is spot on. The US has always used its money and soft power to influence political discourse and outcomes in Europe (e.g. with the objective of keeping communists away from power throughout the Cold War). What’s changed is the objective, the means of delivering it is the same.

Not to take away from a really important story, but what is important about it is tells is what the US new national security strategy means in practice:

For years, I've criticised countries like Russia & Georgia that try to prevent foreign funding of civil society. Now I'm starting to wonder whether we need similar rules: to stop Russian influence operations, certainly, but also to stop the US boosting the far right in Europe. What times we live in!

Beautifully handled.

On the question of England and Englishness. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p...

Spot on by Lewis Goodall.

It is refreshing (if also depressing) to see a journalist honest enough to recognise what the Mandelson appointment and defenestration tells us about our media and our politics.

Not just Americans. bsky.app/profile/mary...

This should worry everyone.

Hear this.

I think that what is happening here is that having tried so hard and ultimately failed to define Britishness as White, England’s far right is now fighting to define Englishness as White.

If Congress doesn’t act, the last nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia will expire. It would pointlessly wipe out decades of diplomacy, and could spark another arms race that makes the world less safe. This piece is worth the read.

Yes, it’s about time we had a proper Brexit. The type of Brexit where we can have our cake and bloody well eat it as well. A Brexit where the border is firmly shut but we still get to trade freely without whoever we want, whenever we want, and on the terms that we want…

Definitely one to read. open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...

So that was some pretty shorted lived drama.

The Vice-President of Germany's Football Association calls for a debate about boycotting this year's World Cup because of Trump

Highly recommend this conversation with Prime Minister Mia Mottley who stands out as a genuine, thoughtful, and articulate leader at a time when so many of her peers are nowhere near making the cut. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/w...

If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.

Someone should ask Kemi Badenoch (or whichever Tory is up for Sunday shows) if the Tories’ proposed “removals force” with “sweeping new powers” will be modelled on ICE www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

No matter what he says, Andy Burnham is not trying to get back into Parliament just so he can be a loyal backbencher. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

BREAKING: “They have been invaded by Russia. This is Russian aggression and the quickest way to end this conflict is Russia to stop the aggression and we need to be really clear about that” Prime Minister Keir Starmer 👏

This is the situation Trump has created: the Ayatollah able to claim the Western order has fallen apart. Think about what that means in the current context of Russia/China/NK/Iran axis This is a repost of a tweet he sent in 2022, making his anti-west claims look perspicacious

The Guardian with an even harsher take

I was stunned in Munich when Vance said Europe's liberal "enemies within" were a bigger threat than Russia and China. Over the last week in Brussels, I lost count of the amount of European officials or diplomats who told me the US is a bigger threat than China. Quite the journey.

A few thoughts on what we are facing and what must be done in response.

I suspect this is correct. The dictator can run a country in a way that is familiar toTrump since it’s the way he has run his businesses.

A few thoughts on what we are facing and what must be done in response.

Removing Zelensky is a primary objective of Putin. I need say no more.

A very good thread on the challenge facing European leaders and the extent to which they have (or can create) room to manoeuvre.

When the oppressed dream of democracy the oppressor sleeps uneasy.

A quiet and powerful voice amid the responses to Trump and Vance's abhorrent behaviour yesterday. Please read this thread👇

A clear and succinct assessment of the challenge European leaders face.

Easy to miss this sort of news because of what happened in the Oval Office today, but the US is also unilaterally disarming vs Russia in cyberspace. I’m sure that Putin will reciprocate…

Every single one of the Trump supporters sounds like a domestic abuser. "You should've let him hit you, you shouldn't have complained in public, you're never grateful, you never say thank you."

You can send donations yourself direct to ukraine here: war.ukraine.ua/donate/ #SlavaUkraïni

When the oppressed dream of democracy the oppressor sleeps uneasy.

That's @nashsgc.bsky.social of course!

I had great fun speaking to @snellarthur.bsky.social about the future of the EU and the U.K.’s relationship with it. There was so much to cover, he had to cut it into two episodes. Hopefully there are some useful insights in there.

Huge pleasure to have an extended conversation with @nashsgc.bsky.social about the EU and its likely transformations in coming years - and about the UK's relationship with it. It's a 2-parter: the first episode is out and focuses on the EU. 1/2 open.spotify.com/episode/04uz...

On immigration, what voters want, and the desperate need to make Britain work properly again. jrnl.ie/6247699

A complacent media, seeking ratings/clicks, blithely promotes those who wld break the institutions that were built at a national, regional, & international level after the war to prevent us reliving the the horrors of the first half of the 20th century. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

On the matters of the reshuffle, Cameron’s return, Sunak’s weakness, & the Braverman threat. jrnl.ie/6224812

Really good discussion about Britain, identity, and our place in world on The New Statesman’s Westminster Reimagined this week, with @alexvont.bsky.social and Ivan Rogers contributing. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...

This Braverman saga is just further evidence, not only of how self-involved this government is, but also how bad at politics it most senior ministers are.

"By failing to address our past, we’re unable to forge a different kind of future. We are left unsure of who we are, how we got here, what our purpose is, and what it means to be British." Thoughtful article from @nashsgc.bsky.social worth reading.

"Tusk forced to wait as PiS given first chance to form Polish government." I thought Tusk's success seemed to good to be true. The radical right will use any and all means to cling to power.

I haven’t listened to a TED Talk in years, but this one from David McWilliams is excellent. youtu.be/hUPrUJ4F_Ro?...