Roland Smith
@rolandmcs.bsky.social
Tracking the Right's journey after Brexit and also the culture war's highly charged boundaries. Once a Fellow of the Adam Smith Institute, now centrist. Telegraph watcher. https://open.substack.com/pub/rolandmcs buymeacoffee.com/rolandsmith
Even a stopped clock….
Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 3h agoAllister Heath in the Telegraph argues that the foundation of Restore's politics is a "Groyperification" into rabid conspiratorial populism that rejects ethnic & faith minorities being equally British. www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2026...
Fucking fuck's sake man what in God's name is the fucking matter with you? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Kemi Badenoch gives former neo-Nazi advisory role after he withdraws as Tory candidate
Joshua Bonehill-Paine says Conservative leader has asked him to work with party’s culture and integration commission
theguardian.com
'Hmm, a state-building project, you say....' - Every Brexiter
Alexander Clarkson@aphclarkson.bsky.social · 16h agoDatapoint nr. 940 indicating a structural inability within UK elites to grasp how much European integration has become a state-building project
This is why I think Kemi is extremely high-risk. There is every chance she will step on a rake during the election and then spend two scarce campaigning days insisting that being hit in the face by a rake handle is great actually and part of the plan. And then find another rake.
Will Reid-Tong@willthong.com · 18h agoSomehow Kemi on R4 has just backed herself into the utterly farcical line "come on now it's not a *national* platform - he's only gonna be a Tory councillor, not a Tory MP!"
Is the crux of the advice: 'They join the Conservative Party and kinda go from there'?
Alex Partridge@alexpartridge87.bsky.social · 10h agoIn a post on X he says he’ll instead be advising the Conservative Party on how young men become radicalised
If anything, given how little Badenoch thinks of Tory councillors, is it fair to say she's given him a promotion?
🚨 BREAKING: Former neo-Nazi Joshua Bonehill-Paine has resigned as a Tory council candidate "Kemi has instead offered that I become an adviser to the Conservative Party’s Culture and Integration Commission, specifically focusing on how young men become radicalised"
To be fair, “Councillors and council elections don’t matter” are a load-bearing part of the “Kemi Badenoch is doing well and the Conservative party’s prospects under her are looking good” thesis.
Chris Terry-Enescu@cjterry.bsky.social · 17h agoIt's OK for criminal ex-neo Nazis to run your bins is a hell of a line.
Quite impressive to completely undermine your own defence and insult most of your party's elected officials in the same sentence.
Chris Terry-Enescu@cjterry.bsky.social · 17h agoIt's OK for criminal ex-neo Nazis to run your bins is a hell of a line.
NEW: In recent days, a series of striking warnings about climate change appeared in the Telegraph. It has some wondering whether new ownership means a new stance. But this has as much to do with the Tory Party as it does with the Tel. My analysis: www.theguardian.com/media/2026/a...
Right turn on green: is the Telegraph changing its tune on the climate?
Flurry of articles has raised eyebrows and prompted a response from Kemi Badenoch defending stance on net zero
theguardian.com
Evans-Pritchard once accused me of malpractice, and this is typically overstated, but he's worth reading. Forecasts of UK net electricity exports may be wrong, given higher capital costs/UK's suitability for solar. But the North Sea will be crucial for north-west Europe www.cer.eu/publications...
Power losses: What's holding back European electricity trade?
The EU is falling behind in its push to create a European power market. This analysis sets out a five-point plan for the EU and national governments to hasten integration.
cer.eu
Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · 19h agoAnother upbeat energy article by Ambrose E-P in the Telegraph that also slaps the Tories over their green energy stance. archive.ph/Ypxmt
Another upbeat energy article by Ambrose E-P in the Telegraph that also slaps the Tories over their green energy stance. archive.ph/Ypxmt
But if you support what was recently Tory policy on net zero and the ECHR you’re out. There’s a space for the Tory party to be pro business and reasonably small c Conservative for people repelled by reform and underwhelmed by the Lib Dems…this isn’t that.
Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · yesterdayNighty night
Does she realise Dunkirk wouldn't have even been possible if French forces had surrendered as opposed to fighting a rearguard action which allowed the BEF to assemble in Dunkirk and the evacuation flotilla to be formed?
Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · 2d agoThe war. It always comes back to the war. That happened long before they were born.
The war. It always comes back to the war. That happened long before they were born.
Once again Trump is doing exactly what he would be doing if Putin had grotesque photos of Trump in compromising positions.
CNBC@cnbc.com · 2d agoU.S. has used 'virtually all' of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war: Reuters
saying this not as a dig to Paul but as a general point, but it does worry me that we've ended up in a world where the two options are seemingly "leftist bubble" or "oh hey the nazis are here" - surely we should be able to have a politically heterogenous platform with tight rules on hate speech etc?
Paul Bernal@paulbernal.bsky.social · 2d agoThe new CEO of Bluesky wants to change Bluesky from being a leftist bubble. The thing is, there’s nothing wrong with being a leftist bubble: the idea that everything has to be all-encompassing and suitable for everyone is a trap. 🧵 1/4
100%. Farage is a wrecker. That's all he ever does and all he ever will do. He has no answers. Just breaks something else to distract from his total incompetence in any sphere of governance. He's a spiteful toddler in a permanent tantrum.
Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · 2d agoOf course Farage's 'policy' doesn’t work. It isn't intended to work. It's meant to cause a splash in the unthinking press (and GMB) and thereby get Doris at Number 33 Lambert Road, Peterborough to go 'Ooh at last someone is trying to do something about these awful boat crossings.' That's it.
Watching that Katie Price documentary. As expected, a ghastly individual.
UK, Clacton national parliament by-election, Survation poll: Farage (REFORM~NI): 73% (+27) Count Binface (CBP-*): 20% (new) Fox (RECLAIM-*): 2% (new) +/- vs. 2024 election Fieldwork: 16-24 July 2026 Sample size: 502
Reform's latest proposals display many features of pro-Brexit arguments, including bogus but technical-sounding claims (here, UNCLOS, cf 'CTA', 'WTO terms', 'GATT 24'), and assumptions aboutt what other countries/ EU will/ should/ must do. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 1/2
France hits out at Reform UK plan to return migrants using Royal Navy
It comes after the party said it would override French objections to return migrants to France.
bbc.co.uk
Former Royal Navy Officer Brands Reform's Small Boats Plan 'A Crock Of Shit' www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/a-croc...
'A Crock Of Sh*t': Former Royal Navy Officer Slams Reform's Small Boats Plan
The French government has also rejected the policy.
huffingtonpost.co.uk
Of course Farage's 'policy' doesn’t work. It isn't intended to work. It's meant to cause a splash in the unthinking press (and GMB) and thereby get Doris at Number 33 Lambert Road, Peterborough to go 'Ooh at last someone is trying to do something about these awful boat crossings.' That's it.
The Guardian@theguardian.com · 3d agoFormer navy officer criticises Reform plan to use military to stop small boats
After the next election, I have decided to have an affair with Margot Robbie. Assuming she consents, it will be legal. If she doesn't, I'll have an argument with her and will get my big ship out to impress & intimidate her. What could possibly go wrong? news.sky.com/video/we-wou...
'We would have an argument with France,' over small boats policy, say Reform
Reform's Zia Yusuf says the party would deploy the Royal Navy to return small boats crossing the Channel to France and Belgium.
news.sky.com
The Navy has trailed intervening in the Channel before. James Heappey, the then Armed Forced Ministers, explained to the Defence Select Committee that they concluded it was "unviable" and any collisions would be "a breach of the saving life at sea convention" committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence...
