Jamie Gaskarth

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UK defence and the impact of Davos - UK in a changing Europe Andrew M Dorman argues that the UK should reduce its reliance on the US for its defence and invest in and strenghten its own capabilities following the geopolitical tensions at Davos.

🏔️"Davos should therefore have confirmed to Keir Starmer that Britain will need to both rethink its dependence on the US and the slow pace of rearmament."

✍️ Andrew M Dorman reflects on UK defence policy following the geopolitical tensions at Davos

🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/uk-defence-a...

I can't process how generationally unfair the student loan system is in the UK. The interest rate should be the BoE base rate. 9% is an absolute scandal. #newsnight.

This is IMO the big thing that we need to change England's planning system to do. Once you approve a theme park it should unlock a presumptive yes for the sewage upgrades:

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Technology and the (future) Human in War x2 Ref: 43027 & 43028 (Fixed Term) - Job page - University of Sussex Job Search

@mybisa.bsky.social @isanet.bsky.social @europeanisa.bsky.social @warontherocks.bsky.social @ifjpglobal.bsky.social I'm recruiting! 2x 4-year postdocs: jobs.sussex.ac.uk/job/36e1adc2...

If the UK Government is not a guaranteed customer for the missiles, then the propsect looks immediately less attractive for the businesses loking at the tender. Either way, without replacing US ISR systems having just the UK missiles won’t address US dependency concerns.

The boundless mystery of Assimilated EU Law? - UK in a changing Europe Simon Usherwood explores the issues that the UK faces in managing the legislation it adopted as a member state of the EU following Brexit.

"It is apparent that there is still no final and definitive list of that legislation, nor clarity about what should be done with it all."

✍️ @simonusherwood.bsky.social on the challenges the UK faces in dealing with the legislation it adopted while part of the EU

🔗 ukandeu.ac.uk/the-boundles...

Have you removed all adverbs?

Explaining the Milibands to a non-political person: Why didn't David get leader? Well, he held a banana. What was Ed's problem? He ate a bacon sandwich and it was very messy.

We should strive to be America’s new Israel Britain must find a new national strategy and reinvigorate its relationship with the economic and defence superpower

Of all the countries you'd want to emulate, who'd pick Israel?!
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01...

The chef's kiss was when she was voted out and then declared she hoped Rachel or Stephen would win as the most faithful. Should have taken her all the way.

Oh dear. Oh deary dear. That might be the worst IR take I've ever read.

I'd disagree. Not sure if you're thinking about grand strategy as a plan written down or a set of principles but most states have both. If you're going to mobilise all your national resources you need to engage the public so it is actually more democratic than a piecemeal approach.

If they can't even get that through, my goodness, just run up the white flag and call an election.

D9!

That said, I'm bemused that Simon Fraser thinks a US invasion of Greenland wouldn't be the end of NATO. As Fiona Hill implies, it would be a Hungary 56 or Prague 68 moment, but with Europeans able to leave.

What does Trump mean for relations between the UK and Europe, and the rest of the world? | Institute for Government Sir Simon Fraser, Fiona Hill and Anand Menon join us to discuss the impact of Trump's presidency on the UK and Europe

Excellent discussion here on current workd situation...https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/trump-relations-uk-eu

The Carney doctrine Open comment thread on the PM's Davos speech

Carney's speech feels like one that will resonate for years to come. Props to the speechwriter(s).
paulwells.substack.com/p/the-carney...

That's basically where it all went wrong and productivity stalled 😅

That appears to be your job, no?!

Internet wasn't really a 90s thing. I managed to do a degree from 95 to 98 without having an email address and didn't use it at all. Only really became mainstream in 2000s.

YouTube video by NBC News Trump suggests he could use 'economic force' to annex Canada

He's already gone there...
m.youtube.com/shorts/Dcf2j...

That's a shame. Someone should let the good folks at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change know. They'll want to revise their assumptions, no doubt.

You want me to provide evidence for the assertion that if you make something valuable easier to acquire, more people will seek to acquire it?

Our @jamiegaskarth.bsky.social is in @theconversation.com on Keir Starmer's difficult diplomacy with Trump during the Greenland crisis.

That's not a solution to the problem as they define it. If you make it easier to immigrate, you will increase the numbers coming in.

Trump cites UK’s ‘stupidity’ over Chagos Islands as reason to take over Greenland US president says on social media that Britain’s decision to cede islands to Mauritius is ‘act of total weakness’

'A UK government spokesperson said...We acted because the base on Diego Garcia was under threat after court decisions undermined our position and would have prevented it operating as intended in future.' It surprises me they still assert this. Obvious tosh.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Classic policy overreach. Net migration target is met but they can't fix the boats so they just keep pounding away at higher education. No one cares how many students come in. They do care about crossings.

Why Keir Starmer had to speak out against Trump over Greenland after staying quiet on Venezuela Pragmatic realism called for compromise when it came to Venezuela, but there is no reasonable explanation for an invasion of Greenland.

@jasonralph.bsky.social and me wrote the following bit about what Trump's shenanigans mean for the balancing act Starmer has tried to maintain in British foreign policy. TLDR, there's a reckoning coming...
theconversation.com/why-keir-sta...