Ben Coates

Dutch PM won't be drawn on legality of US bombing of Iran - DutchNews.nl The caretaker Dutch government has refused to be drawn on whether it supports the American decision to bomb nuclear installations in Iran, but said it is “of the greatest importance” that Iran never a...

Schoof did it last time they bombed Iran

www.dutchnews.nl/2025/06/dutc...

It’s like the Blue Peter dogs; find the closest you can and just hope no-one notices

Still up on the official White House website:

www.whitehouse.gov/articles/202...

wow not Emily Thornberry, that’ll teach em

Five days since the Netherlands got its first gay PM and we’re already at the “publicly send him photos of gays being hanged” stage

Fuller statement from the new FM here

bsky.app/profile/mini...

I don’t think Jetten necessarily made a bad choice, but it’s mildly interesting that he didn’t take the opportunity to play statesman

Yeah, I guess. But others - Macron, Merkel - also did much more

A war isn’t what you want in your 1st week in office, but Jetten’s response today was v. low key. A short tweet, a few words to the press about the need for stability etc - but no proper statement, and barely mentioned Iran in a big speech he gave. Starmer made 2 big statements this afternoon alone

🤠

You can write all sorts of clever analysis about it, but ultimately an awful lot of it just boils down to shallow men with fragile egos wanting to look cool and tough on TV

Thank you. Coincidentally, that was the only bit I had nothing to do with.

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it

Denk ik niet. Maar ook nooit ontkent

Former D66 leader Sigrid Kaag on Trump's Gaza peace team - DutchNews.nl Sigrid Kaag, the former D66 leader and finance minister, is listed as one of 11 Donald Trump appointees to a new “Gaza Executive Board” to help deliver “peace, stability, and prosperity for the people...

Is Sigrid Kaag really still on Trump’s Board of Peace? Maybe I missed it but I think she’s still there? Might have made for an interesting call between Jetten and his predecessor this afternoon

www.dutchnews.nl/2026/01/form...

There should really be a rule that you’re not allowed to bomb a country if you can’t point to it on a map

2023

Buy soon, before the world ends!

13 months ago

There’s always a tweet, and sometimes there’s four.

Explosions and low-flying aircraft are heard in Venezuelan capital of Caracas At least seven explosions and the sound of low-flying aircraft have been heard in Venezuela's capital, Caracas.

it’s almost as if the FIFA Peace Prize didn’t mean anything at all

www.cbsnews.com/news/venezue...

Het is waarschijnlijk een beetje verschoven - de Groenen doen het duidelijk goed. Maar een by election in 2026 is geen nationale verkiezing in 2029. Er is nog steeds geen enkele kans op een Groene regering (en een reële kans op een Lib Dem/Labour-regering).

Waterstones 🙌

Groetjes

a nokia phone playing a game of snake ALT: a nokia phone playing a game of snake

should keep her busy

The big story is clearly the Greens’ victory but in a constituency with 37,000 voters, the Tories managed to get *seven hundred* votes.

(For context, Sir Oink A-Lot from the Monster Raving Looney Party got 159)

ongelooflijk 😂

I believe he taught at a university early on? But I am admittedly being generous with the definition of academic career

Woodrow Wilson is a safer bet

Andrés Manuel López Obrador - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3...

Labour’s worst fears realised by Greens’ victory in Gorton and Denton byelection Result gives progressive voters clear signal they have an alternative to beating Reform UK – and shows the task ahead for Keir Starmer

“The Greens’ convincing win gives the leftwing party its first ever northern seat. More importantly, however, it gives progressive voters a clear signal that they do not have to vote Labour to beat Reform–a signal that could prove catastrophic for the government”

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

George Osborne said the other day that the important thing about by-elections is not who wins, but how the loser responds.
Might this actually be the moment when Starmer stops his futile pursuit of hard right voters, gives up the Temu Farage stuff and recognizes he can only win from the centre left?