Martin McDonald

(Once again) this is a Brexit reflection. ‘Global’ Britain was meant to mitigate losses from Brexit and surpass EU membership. That ‘vision’ was based on trade deals and liberalised ‘fair’ immigration. The latter is now being dismantled and the former relies on no defunct liberal multilateralism.

‘Where’s Nige?’ Reform leader skips Commons statement on Ukraine, leaving Tice to face pile-on | John Crace With one former MEP jailed for taking Russian bribes, Reform UK was under the spotlight – so no better time for its leader to make a swift exit

‘Where’s Nige?’ Reform leader skips Commons statement on Ukraine, leaving Tice to face pile-on | John Crace

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO-06), Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA- 17), Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (D-NH-02), and Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06) released the following joint statement: "President Trump is using the FBI as a tool to intimidate and harass Members of Congress. "Yesterday, the FBI contacted the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms requesting interviews. "No amount of intimidation or harassment will ever stop us from doing our jobs and honoring our Constitution. "We swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. That oath lasts a lifetime, and we intend to keep it. We will not be bullied. We will never give up the ship."

The same House members who warned service members that they must refuse unlawful orders from President Trump are now saying the FBI is attempting to intimidate them into silence.

Punchbowl also reporting that Senator Mark Kelly has heard from the FBI.

Grey cat splayed across my files on his back.

I think he wants his tea

Jury trials could be scrapped except in most serious cases Only cases of alleged murder, rape or manslaughter will be decided by a jury under new proposals to cut court backlogs.

Imagine coming up with a proposal so stupid, so unworkable, so thoughtless, that it makes Robert Jenrick look sane by comparison.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

one of the pardoned turkeys has been picked up by police for unlawful possession of a firearm after a routine traffic stop

lol sign worked

Robert Harris is an interesting example of a novelist who is not religious, but makes a conscious imaginative effort to think himself into belief systems that he doesn't share - particularly in "Conclave" and "Act of Oblivion".

This is something you really notice in historical fiction, which Mantel and O'Brien aside largely implants 20thC characters in old world settings. Religion is treated as we treat it - a add on - not as the very core of what is driving society.

Glasman has such a sepia-tinted view of class, and zero ability to recognise the way economy and society has changed - in good and bad ways. Precarity, the new working class - there is lots of good thinking about this. To call him a third-rate theorist would be an insult to third-rate theorists.

🤣

[I apologise in advance]. Fifteen years of prime ministerial travel ruined me for the real world. Planes held for you if there was traffic on the M25. No safety rules. When I flew on a real plane after a couple of years, I caused an incident because I'd forgotten you can't stand up on landing.

To be fair, she gets taken to the seaside once a fortnight to sit and look at the waves and eat chips. That seems pretty pampered to me.

Might start asking people who object which of my clients should give their lease cars back. Jayne probably has the most expensive one, it’s basically a minivan. Admittedly she may need it what with the epilepsy and motor neurone disease and so on but she can walk to those hospital appointments right

Startling revelations on the '28 point Plan':
Rubio didn't know
State didn't know
CIA didn't know
UKR didn't know
EU particularly Poland didn't know
Plan devised by Witkoff/Kushner/Putins daughters boyfriend
Green lit by Trump
Vance tried to push it through while Congress was away for Thanksgiving

If 'Old Boys' aren't known as 'Old Dullardians' that's a grievous error!

A neighbour of mine insists that he once met Farage at a Dulwich College reunion and that the then UKIP leader turned up in his actual school blazer... not the old boy blazer... his ACTUAL school blazer... which is just pure Tim Nice But Dim territory.

Two theses on this:

1.Historians cut religion out of political history too early. Well into the 80s, UK politics is still saturated in the stories, referents & norms of Christianity (irrespective of belief).

2.The collapse of that common culture is the most neglected factor in more recent politics

You might be interested in this Greg, these two are both ex-BBC guys:
bsky.app/profile/news...

I would gently suggest that there are forms of radicalisation that don't involve a leap to the right, and that a belief who uses which toilet is one of the most important issues facing the world today suggests a form of radicalisation in itself.

Business card with the text: Know your rights! Interacting with Isaac Chotiner? - "Am I being profiled?" - "I exercise my right to be silent" - Refuse to sign any statements. - Do not offer express invitation to investigate further.

Every American should have this in their wallet:

More niche question: is it acceptable to wear aeroplane pyjamas at home?
(In the glory days of Tony Blair's global tours, I used to come back from each trip with a new set of BA First Class PJs.)

Hello network. This is real shit. I’m looking for transgender, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming front and back end web designers for a project to help trans people get housing in NJ. This is a paid opportunity.

Please share this if you see it, and my DMs are open for more information. Tysm 🩵🩷🤍🩷🩵

“How do you cover Trump at the BBC without fear right now?”

@jonsopel1.bsky.social and @lewisgoodall.com unpack the many pressures currently facing BBC journalists.

LIVE BLOG | Autumn budget 2025: Rachel Reeves prepares to announce tax measures | Institute for Government IfG experts analyse Reeves' budget and explore what the chancellor's plans for the economy, tax and spending mean.

It feels like budget has been going for weeks but a good live-blog starts the day before. Lots from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk before the big day

▪️What has govt already announced?
▪️Will they change fiscal strategy?
▪️What to look out for on tax?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/au...

Isn't it a bit unfair to blame him for the funding given to the criminal courts over the last 15 years? The last year or so, fair enough.

This isn't correct, Starmer British PM has said today it's false:

"My understanding is this is not a new agreement, it is Ukraine confirming they are happy with the draft that emerged in Geneva yesterday, which of course doesn’t cover the question of territory."

If every leak were 'the Chancellor wants to do three big fiscal consolidations in her 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets, so that by 2029 debt, interest rates, NHS waiting lists and the court backlog will be falling'....fine and good!

Brexit costing UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenue , new analysis shows Exclusive: Britons also up to £3,700 worse off, leading to calls for the Labour government to improve relations with the EU

Brexit costing UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenue a year, new analysis shows

HASSETT EMERGES AS FRONTRUNNER IN TRUMP FED CHAIR AUDITION - REPORTS