‘Things could go backwards’: Kezia Dugdale on safety, LGBTQ+ rights and the future of Stonewall

Incoming Hungarian PM Péter Magyar calls for the UK to rejoin the European Union: "I remember when I was a diplomat in Brussels... We were able to influence decisions. At the time, the Brits were also part of the EU. Let's hope they will rejoin."

Some days I can’t help but think that leaving the EU will turn out to have been the best result possible: a reset the UK badly needed properly to join a federation of free states - a United Europe of States - that it can help to secure and maintain. Why not. That Empire state fantasy - set aside.

This is not a claim. It’s an observation, something one can note or notice or (for the slow) realise.

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Oh God. The blog poster linked to here is enjoying going through the motions on this (again) in a wholly familiar yet still essentially private way.

Of all the stories at the moment #BBCr4today was leading with Labour betray Brexit nonsense about dynamic alignment all because of @dailymail.co.uk @thesun.co.uk etc - meanwhile in Hungary the Putin/Trump right was stuffed and Trump’s war continues - oh and Pope Leo has got under his skin

Remarkable. Democratic frontsliding.

John Moriarty on “pot-bound Europe”. youtu.be/G5q1HN7kQsU?...

I’m so pleased that Vance took time out to go to Hungary to complain about foreign interference in national elections.

The Delphic Oracle told King Croesus of Lydia that if he attacked Persia "a great empire will fall." He saw this as a prediction of victory and attacked. It was his own great empire that fell.

The twists and turns on this slow walk back into the EU are fairly well mapped here. That the British PM will, at various points along the way, have to be bold indicates that it is unlikely to go much faster or further under the present incumbent of No10 www.irishtimes.com/business/eco...

Inelegant and not to standard.

After Trump's unhinged post saying "Open the Fuckin' Strait" and mocking Iran with "Praise be to Allah," I repeat what I've said for many months in my Stop the Presses newsletter: The media betray their duty by not loudly declaring that the president of the United States is out of his mind.

Excellent news from Oxfordshire. And a very well-worded response to the Raise the Colours group who were so blatantly trying to divide us by abusing both the Union flag and the flag of St George: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This is the most sensitive thing - the practice if not the principles governing relations between the political and the religious in America.

Terrible seeing the flag of St George being put up right now on every lamppost on Abingdon Road in Oxford. @annarailton.bsky.social and @thamesvalleypolice.bsky.social - this is not legal but when I called the police they refused to take action. Not good enough. This is so wrong.

Some older people become our youngest thinkers. Meanwhile, young people are often thinking old stuff like it was new.

A new twist on French “Occupation”. Goodness me - sparkling reflections by @anjalijoseph.bsky.social

“British culture is pretty meaningless if it has the literary standards of ChatGPT and the argumentative standards of a telemarketer.” Good point well made. thecritic.co.uk/suicide-of-a...

*facepsalm*

The German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, who died on 14 March, was one of Europe’s most influential thinkers. Reflecting on his work, @simonglend.bsky.social @lse-ei.bsky.social revisits the argument Habermas made for establishing a supranational democracy in Europe. @lseeuroppblog.bsky.social

I had a long-standing disagreement with Habermas over the future of European integration. Here I outline his 'postnational' view - and briefly explain why I think (following Kant and Mill) it should nevertheless be rejected. blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2...

The author of a book on “muddling through” definitely not taking his own research seriously enough in relation to England’s utterly bizarre progress (so far) in the T20 World Cup.

Register to join us for an exciting event with Xavier Bettel (@xavierbettel.bsky.social),the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of Luxembourg 🎤 www.lse.ac.uk/european-ins...

A feature of the 2024 GE was a low three party (Lab/Con/LD) share. Something that has continued dramatically since and is perhaps the really important story not the rise of any one alternative but rather an electorate without binding party loyalties.

What I think UK politics needs (not only but) most of all is: not REF. So this is a great result in typicalish “between GE” conditions. In a GE (or other BEs) in different constituencies different voter configurations can bring about REF defeat. Each of those who came 3rd-5th might be 1st.

Tag line for philosophy as a discipline

I know the shit has hit the fan in a big way in the US - but Bluesky seems increasingly about nothing else. Even the bits that are not about the US are mostly about international responses to the US. I know, I know, it’s a massive world upheaval and really, really terrible, but…hey ho.

Imagine thinking Farage is the alternative to old party politics & will somehow make your life better, when you can’t state any of his policies, Brexit was a disaster that made everything dearer, he wants to defund the NHS, has stuffed his party full of tories & taken Russian money! FFS

Varun Chakaravarthy is my current favourite cricketer. He is 34 but has had a short international career. That is because he was an architect until he was 25. Like all great spin bowlers he is has a very idiosyncratic action. His googly is utterly brilliant. He also looks like a stoner.

Excellent, incisive analysis

According to Italy's former prime minister, the power games at play in today’s world require Europe to make a qualitative leap in integration. A pragmatic leap. https://bit.ly/4a7jY4Q

This is silly. A judgement “from the viewpoint of the planet” would seem to me way more likely to embrace wanting us (or most of us) gone as soon as possible - don’t unnecessarily extend the stay of current humanity on their account.

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I’m puzzled by the fact that an art exhibition today is basically indistinguishable from works in a museum. Is it: works of the clearly past and works of the nearly past?

I’ve talked for decades of a need for a Confederation of States of Europe That is a stronger political alliance but one that allows each state some self-determination and to protect its own culture, language and ways (whatever the latter means) A Federal state will only strengthen some 1/

I really like thinking about Tooze’s demand that we acknowledge the historically unprecedented character of whatever is happening. I also like thinking about his idea that you don’t know what shit you’re in when you are in it. I don’t think I agree though. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

And the UK not at the table because of an act of collective insanity.

Thinking a bit more on this, there is a symbolism in the fact that this warning to the US is issued at the margins of a meeting of the 'coalition of the willing' to defend against Russia. Europe in 2026, under siege from two sides.

English cricket fans regretting the retirement of Chris Tavaré.

Yarvin: “Conservatives fail because they can never see that [USA] is actually not their country. Liberals win because they can never see that [USA] actually is their country.” He thinks there is a liberal hegemony. So GOP winning an election is not winning at all: the “underdog” DP has already won.

Merry Christmas from Rosa, @ppfideas.bsky.social team & me 😍! In the latest episode of the podcast, David & I discuss von Trotta's film "Rosa Luxemburg" & the life and politics of “the most brilliant intellect of all the scientific heirs of Marx and Engels Marx and Engels", as Franz Mehring put it.

Ok, this is nuts. Once you see it you cannot unsee it. Do you see it? (OP @drgbuckingham.bsky.social )

The details of the announcement reveal that Britain is not just rejoining Erasmus, but also the EU internal energy market, a first small step to reversing the economic damage of Brexit: ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Official confirmation of the UK rejoining Erasmus+ in 2027. As someone who studied in the UK (though not via Erasmus) very pleased to see this particuarly severing of connection at least partially rebuild:

'I'll play you Donald Trump lying, and the Met Commissioner doing what every patriotic Brit should be doing...' @mrjamesob.bsky.social cautions against 'treachery', as Sir Mark Rowley rubbishes Trump's claims about safety under Sadiq Khan last month.