Interrupting the holiday briefly to note another ex UK politician trying to rewire the EU to overcome Brexit, another for the round filing cabinet as we used to say. demos.co.uk/research/bey...

Beyond Brexit: A new deal for Britain, Ukraine and Europe

Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

demos.co.uk

First German train of the day is at least less late than everything else at the station...

Morning.

The German town I'm staying in tonight has a couple of misting arches set up where you can walk through a fine spray of water and this seems a good idea

One of the finest of our trade policy community and I'm pleased to say I'll be doing a WTO Public Forum 'fringe' event with Inu on the backlash to trade in Europe and the US, and how that could be changed

Peterson Institute for International Economics@piie.com · 2d ago

We're thrilled to announce @inumanak.bsky.social is joining PIIE as a senior fellow! Welcome, Inu! 🎉

Donner und Blitzen!

Only one cancelled train today and now time for a coffee with a view...

German train WiFi so far surprisingly good and essential for planning around the next cancelled train.

German beer still hits the spot though...

I do a lot of advisory work with the German government and what I’ve concluded is we went past what the coalition system of achieve during the Merkel years. The coalition system now reduces everything to what the conservatives want, which is to live in an imaginary world where the 1990s never ended.

David Henig@davidheniguk.bsky.social · 3d ago

My initial view of German trains is they aren't just bad, but utterly catastrophic, sweeping cancellations far in excess of any reasonable system, and everyone just shrugging that this is normal. As a symbol of a fading economic giant it is perfect.

My initial view of German trains is they aren't just bad, but utterly catastrophic, sweeping cancellations far in excess of any reasonable system, and everyone just shrugging that this is normal. As a symbol of a fading economic giant it is perfect.

Approaching the first ever German place I'd heard of... the youngsters will not necessarily appreciate that football fixtures were how we neanderthals learnt of the world...

Lovers of UK train disruption could be pleased to hear that my travels in Germany have already been diverted three times, and that's before actually leaving the UK...

Just thinking, franchise cricket, but for middle aged overweight Sunday cricketers...

Since some folk are back on covid lessons, here's what I find most interesting - that the vast majority of people and countries reacted and adapted magnificently, but that this has broadly been forgotten in our modern day grumpy online culture.

Reading about Infantino / FIFA and the obvious conclusion is how Trump has normalised massive corruption for those in his circle. And the opportunities are huge in today's globalisation. Hence the importance of some form of global rules however compromised.

I once asked a Swiss railway employee about what might happen if I missed a 7 minute connection for the airport and he didn't understand the question. Obviously my bad as the trains were on neighbouring platforms and perfectly to time.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 5d ago

What I love about all train companies is they all believe very deeply that they have Japanese or Swiss levels of reliability when they plan your transfer time. Ten minutes interchange at Florence, Trenitalia? Really? Ten minutes at Darlington, LNER? Seriously?

I can already hear the traditionally cautious Labour strategists thinking that everything is going well and shouldn't be ruined by thinking big thoughts whether on Europe or anything else... www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Will Trump be Burnham’s undoing, or the making of him? The answer lies in Europe | Jonathan Freedland

In an increasingly dangerous world, Europe is finding safety in numbers – but Britain is on the outside. The new PM’s task is to change that, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

theguardian.com

On the basis of eating what you can grow it looks like chillies for breakfast...

Just noting, whenever I receive an automated email saying "your opinion is extremely valuable to us" then I assume I'm dealing with a company who cares not one jot about me...

During the Truss debacle, I remarked to one of the prominent (and generally more sensible) free market economists that his and others’ support for Brexit and Truss had set back their cause by a generation.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 6d ago

Important corrective by @robertshrimsley.bsky.social: Britain’s free marketeers need to wake up to how bad things are and how no-one is really making our case at the moment:

Missed opportunity I fear for a UK politician to finally address the issue of taxation of trade routes to the outer planets since we all know where this may lead, actually having to watch the first Star Wars prequel...

Count Binface@countbinface.bsky.social · last wk.

Here it is. My manifesto for the 2026 Clacton By-Election. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Join me, clean up Clacton and let's make 13th August Bin Day! #VoteBinface #VoteyMcVoteface #YesWeTinCan

Think this is closer to the truth with regard to "China Shock 2.0" - their subsidies are to cutting edge sectors the west's are to legacy incumbent industries. Where does it stop? I suspect when China builds the wrong things, and Europe's companies are shocked to compete. www.ft.com/content/8719...

China is smarter about subsidies than everybody else

Beijing is stealing a march on its competitors by targeting strategic sectors

ft.com

Same across Europe and in the US. Those politicians advocating markets are in decline and disarray, government intervention is increasingly expected though with different emphasis depending on the party. Cyclical perhaps, a reflection of ageing populations almost certainly.

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 6d ago

Important corrective by @robertshrimsley.bsky.social: Britain’s free marketeers need to wake up to how bad things are and how no-one is really making our case at the moment:

1900 Democratic platform: “Private monopolies are...the most efficient means yet devised for appropriating the fruits of industry to the benefit of the few at the expense of the many, and unless their insatiate greed is checked, all wealth will be aggregated in a few hands & the Republic destroyed”

So this guy is cycling at high speed dangerously along the payment and appears to work for Lime as he stops to change their batteries

Blimey, there are clouds in the London sky that looks like they could produce rain. Probably won't, but haven't seen this for so long...

Europe wants to become many things, but most certainly not the first AI Continent.

Ursula von der Leyen@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 7d ago

AI is the most important technology of our time. Europe wants to become the first AI Continent. For advanced healthcare, for the transport sector and so much more. European AI Gigafactories will provide the necessary computing power to make this possible.

The view from outside

Quinn Slobodian@quinnslobodian.com · 7d ago

The UK is torching one of the few sectors in which they still have a global edge, horrifying to watch.

Am I right to think that at this point that China is doing more to combat global climate change than Europe? Not that either have a particularly wonderful story to tell. But Europe's increasingly nostalgic politics doesn't leave much space for the future.