In ST @matthewsyed.bsky.social quite right on Merkel errors. But 2010-16 UK opted out of influence let alone leadership in Europe by promoting Brexit isolationism supported to hilt by all Murdoch papers

Excellent @katietarrant.bsky.social ST report on how well Labour candidate @sagalAbdi-Wali in Holborn St Pancras ny election doing after disgusting racist attack by Zia Yusuf on fact she was a refugee like pre-war Jews from political persecution in Somalia. Farage should remove the ghastly Yusuf.

ST says @louisehaighmp.bsky.social “likes to apply the “Makerfield test”: how a policy would go down in a lib. With 2 pubs closing every day maybe Labour needs new metric? @jlpartner.bsky.social @peterkellner.bsky.social

After AfD win in east Germany tomorrow Germans go to polls to elect Leader of Baltic Sea region Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The SPD’s Manuela Schwesig, 52, is favourite to be re-elected to head regional government on a left(ish) social democratic platform.

Any rock ‘n roll stars calling for freedom for Iranian women?

Wake up to Lib Dem ranting against refugees and some guy saying planes shouldn’t arrive at Heathrow. The closing of Britain?

Maybe if the Economist occasionally challenged the rich and powerful its circulation would stop dropping ?

Carole Cadwalladr@carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 5d ago

The Observer announced another share issue today for an additional £10m funding as print circulation drops from 114k to 90k. It’s notable that in the same time period I have built a circulation of 124k for my personal Substack..having set it up amid fears I would lose my job (as I in fact did).

On C4 News Angela Rayner andTomTugendhat link hands and agree with each other they see no problem with crypto currency traders giving many millions to parties to get political influence. On most of Europe democracy pays for democracy. Does Burnham want to be PM of sleaze?

In New S’man @pronouncedalva.bsky.social writes “Ed Miliband’s dynamism is remaking Britain’s foreign policy for the Burnham age”. The word “Europe” does not appear in her 2 page article .

On R4 @mikecraven.bsky.social describes Burnham as a Catholic PM. Born baptised educated a Catholic yes but does he go to mass today, follow Catholic teaching on status of women, controlling fertility etc? On whole ibetter not to promote Burnham as a “Catholic” PM any morel than Ed M as Jewish FS

“Remigration” is a French word coined in France that works in English to describe mass expulsion of people living in France who are not white Christian. UK far right becoming European

Ireland against Fascism@irlagainstfascism.bsky.social · last wk.

Britain First bigots were out in force in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England today. Chanting 'leftie scum off our streets' and 'save the nation - remigration'. Paul Golding will be proud of his minions...

No he came to power because of divisions on left with communists in politics and unions blindly following Stalin or Trotsky regarding social democracy as main enemy. That far left/green hate of reformist socialism is as strong as ever and a gift to today’s extreme nationalist right

Cas Mudde@casmudde.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Hitler's NSDAP never gained the support of more than one-third of voters in free and fair elections! Just like far-right leaders today, Hitler came to power because of the collaboration of right-wing elites, who either wanted to "fight off the left" or thought they could play the far right.

Sad to see great Italian politician, EU campaigner Emma Bonino dies aged 78. Pushed into political activism after she tried to get abortion aged 24 she promoted and was passionate about many worthy causes where Europe had a role. Not very party political she shook up 🇮🇹 politics

AfD leader Alice Weidel has vowed to take Germany out the EU if her party gains power, speaking proudly in her native tongue that: “Я — безумная лесбиянка-нацистка, которая любит индейцев и получать взятки от Путина.” Quelle surprise

Farage keen on PR - Quelle surprise. “Farage calls for proportional representation as he backs Reform to win 6m votes Leader predicts pressure to change ‘absolutely bankrupt’ first past the post system if his party wins only a handful of seats “ - DTel

Very heavy weather on Today right now. The top plod seems to think “far left” wear Balaclavas on demos. In France it is simply illegal to cover face on a political demo. So just copy France? Oh sorry that means learning from Europe @michaelcrick.bsky.social @pippacrerar.bsky.social

Burnham should scrap Labour’s red lines on Brexit and get closer to EU, voters say www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Burnham should scrap Labour’s red lines on Brexit and get closer to EU, voters say

New research shows just one in five voters think Brexit has been a success, heaping pressure on the new prime minister to improve Britain’s relationship with Europe

independent.co.uk

In France news big story is thieves stealing Renoirs. On BBC News it’s about thieves stealing crates of Guinness.

Uk one of many democracies which support Israel’s right to exist who today are saying far right imposition of Israeli settlements outside state borders is increasing tension. List includes UK, Canada, France, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden

In Indie @lorrainekelly.bsky.social writes “there is no the doubt the European Union was, and indeed still is a bloated, impossibly impenetrable tangle of red tape. It needs a bloody good tidy up, but that’s exactly what we Brits are good at.” Really? UK had decades to “tidy up Europe”

V interesting argument by French specialist on Ukraine any why Putin may feel he needs a small invasion of a pro Ukraine neighbouring state to prove he is ready to fight forever war www.theglobalist.com/why-putins-n...

Why Putin’s Next Move in his War Against Ukraine is Against Europe - The Globalist

With Ukraine's momentum shifting, Putin may be calculating that a lightning strike on NATO's eastern flank is his only way out.

theglobalist.com

Much common sense from @jydenham.bsky.social on R4 on Portsmouth, Dover. In France it is a crime to wear a face covering at a political demonstration. But heaven forfend we might learn anything from Europe @nicklowles.bsky.social @roswynnejones.bsky.social

Farage, Badenoch , Polanski all down in latest poll LAB: 28% (+1) RFM: 24% (-1) CON: 18% (-1) GRN: 11% (-1) LDM: 11% (+1) SNP: 3% (=) Via @OpiniumResearch

Always been in awe of @paulmason.bsky.social Stakhanovite work rate. His new book “Reds. A Global History of Communism” looks like a corker. With divisions in left in Europe handing government to far right just as CP opened way to fascism after 1920 lessons to be learnt

In FT elogious profile of James Orr says he as head of Reform policy would “protect Britain’s Christian heritage by enacting mass deportations” of migrants. Very ugly stuff @helenwarrell.bsky.social

Neat comparison by FraserNelson between Reform and SNP. Dodgy finances, dodgy leader (Salmond=Farage) , could win seats but never effective state power but the true believers in the two nationalisms - Scottish and English - refused to give up leader worship.

Yes MPs who don’t get promotion they desire think MP who does isn’t up to job. Healey worked as PPS then minister under G Brown so learnt trade from one of more successful CXs in recent ties. Healey also lives in manufacturing northern UK in a town badly hurt by Tory anti industry ideology. A voir

Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 2w ago

I fear that the decisive moment in this government’s life was appointing John Healey as Chancellor. I know what Pat McFadden, Ed Miliband, or Darren Jones (the other serious options) think Starmer and Reeves got wrong. This seems to be “what if we had Rachel Reeves, but a man?”

Oh dear. @RobertJenrick reignites disaster of Reform crisis trying to shout down Anna Foster on Today and repeating Zia Yusuf racist line about Brits born outside Britain can’t be MPs. That would exclude Boris Johnson and Duke of Wellington. Pure 1930s politics

Farage candidate Laila Cunningham confused and stuttering on Newsnight unable to answer simple questions from @mattchorley.bsky.social