Simon Usherwood

New report on UK-EU reset from Cmns Foreign Affairs Cte: would be good to have clear strategic goals

committees.parliament.uk/work/8993/th...

Westminster bridge

Today's constitutional

📣 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻: 𝗨𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

🎓 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗲: 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱

You can find out more on the UACES Website: www.uaces.org/gf26

#uaces #uacesgf2026

Wie der luxemburgische Staat klammheimlich Trumps Willen vollstreckt Die Spuerkeess hat aus Angst vor US-Repressalien die Konten des von Trump sanktionierten Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs geschlossen – und die Regierung sah tatenlos zu.

Exclusive revelations: The Luxembourg state bank has closed the ICC's institutional bank accounts in the aftermath of Trump's sanctions against the court.

full story via @wort.lu

www.wort.lu/politik/wie-...

Talking #Iran with BBC Surrey shortly

@oupolitics.bsky.social

Blossom

Today's constitutional

Devil's Punchbowl

Today's constitutional
#Spring

It's all 'leave the EU to rebuild our Commonwealth ties' when there's a referendum on, but a different tune when it comes to Commonwealth citizens exercising their 112-year old right to vote in a parliamentary by-election.

Post a pic you took, no context, to bring some zen to the feed

Things ain't what they used to be

Draft UK–EU Agreement in respect of Gibraltar The draft Agreement reached between the UK and the European Union in respect of Gibraltar, with accompanying summary.

Will also note that the gov.uk website talks about this version needing further legal review

www.gov.uk/government/p...

On the back of @stevepeers.bsky.social excellent thread, a graphic of the border arrangements under the Gibraltar Agt

PDF: bit.ly/UshGraphic145
@ukandeu.bsky.social @davidheniguk.bsky.social

Over the past eighteen months, the political science consensus on the nature of Labour's vote has been absolutely correct - and yet also completely ignored by pundits and strategists who continue to get it wrong.

Gorton and Denton first thoughts - incredible result for the Greens who won the long battle to be the best placed anti-Reform candidate - helped by being the obvious anti-Labour candidate for disappointed progressives. As I noted in the Observer last month, a Revolt on the Left is growing

Going to have a go at the border movements elements presently*


* a word here which means "at some point2

Checks to see if he took it graci... oh

Impressively, not asingle mention of the Gibraltar treaty in this afternoon's playbook (or this morning's)

Now that us peasants are allowed to see this treaty, here's some thoughts as I read through it.

The summary states that there is no effect on sovereignty and 'no direct application of EU law to Gibraltar through the Agreement or enforcement role for the [CJEU] in Gibraltar'

Draft Gibraltar treaty now published, all 1000+ pages of it

www.gibraltar.gov.gi/uploads/_Pre...

The Representation of the People Bill: contours of the debates to come The government’s long-awaited proposals for electoral reforms, published last month, will receive their first scrutiny in the House of Commons next Monday. Ahead of that debate, Alan Renwick analyses which of the bill’s proposals – and omissions – are likely to spark most contention. He suggests that pressure to strengthen the bill will be intense on multiple fronts.

NEW BLOG: The Representation of the People Bill: contours of the debates to come

Ahead of the bill's second reading on Monday, @alanrenwick.bsky.social covers 'astonishing weaknesses', an idea that is 'indefensible in a democracy' and another 'breach of such a basic democratic principle'.

Blossom

Today's constitutional

Not going in, so avoid that dilemma

This evening's constitutional

This evening's constitutional

Foreign Office denies minister’s claim the Chagos Islands deal has been paused – UK politics live Minister told MPs the deal had been been paused, but that was immediately denied by the Foreign Office

Additional context to the arrival of the Gibraltar treaty this week: everyone's on the status of overseas territories

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

As you read this excellent report, a quick graphic from some time ago, explaining the different models of alignment available to UK and EU

Rumbled

Either way, still going to be on my hols, so whatever

Delay to the next EU-UK summit to July

Suggests there's something worth delaying for, although also suggests no-one has pushed to rush for the original timeline

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Looks like another case of govt not rolling the pitch for what was always going to be a tough sell, totally regardless of the substantive content