Lorcan Twomey

73% of Europeans believe their countries have benefitted from EU membership. Even in Britain, 62% of the public believe Brexit has been more of a failure than a success.
WTF are our politicians waiting for? Divine inspiration?

UK trade figures. Not a happy picture.

The immediate post-Brexit policy was a failure. Despite protests otherwise it seems this year's trade strategy will be only half-heartedly implemented.

you're welcome. I'm Irish and find NIalls punching down on english pure *cringe*.

this guy, mc sweeney, is a problem for labour. I suspect he's pushing the "not in my lifetime" EU agenda with starmer.

1. Time involved
2. Cost
3. Weapons proliferation risks
4. Meltdown risk
5. Lung cancer risk
6. Emissions/pollution
7. Waste risk
www.oneearth.org/the-7-reason...

First part of today's partially shizophrenic votes in - where the EP plenary, based on the 'von der Leyen' majority against the far-right, voted in favour of the 90+% carbon reduction goal for 2040.

I never said the EU is anti english.

I'm Irish and find the way Niall O Conghaile punches down on the English pure *cringe*.

I wasn't talking about the EU. Or DH. I was talking about the anti english bashing from Niall O'Conghaile. It's pure *cringe*.

I'm not talking about DH. I'm Irish. It's pure *cringe* the way Niall O'Conghaile punches down on the english the way he does.

I was talking about the anti-english bashing.

David Henig & Niall O'Conghaile are actually advocating the same solution for brexit - a custom/swiss style deal for the UK to get SM access, a "third-pillar EEA" - yet O'Conghaile punches down on DH and others in an anti-english way.

pure *cringe*.

There was less animosity towards Germany, nine years on from WWUU than there is towards the UK, nine years on from Brexit.

I'm Irish, pro European and don't share O'Conghaile's views. @andrewbrook.bsky.social puts it well.

*cringe*

In Ireland we have an expression "reel your neck in". Niall O'Connghaile badly needs to do that. Punching down on you and other english commentators, under the guise of being pro European, doesn't wash and doesn't help.

Alternate view - the pitiable irrelevant Brits should be honoured to be bullied by the glorious infallible greatness that is the EU. The EU doesn't need anything, put up the walls and everything will be great! bsky.app/profile/nial...

Labour currently has the majority to easily change voting rules to the more democratic proportion system, thereby saving the country from a far right absolute majority - which would even save Labour's own ass.

Nice thread. My comment would be that tax raises would have been unavoidable even without Brexit.

If the UK wants to be a European nation - and they want that - they need to have tax levels that are comparable with that.

Brexit is not the sole reason for that but it merely makes it worse.

extract from the paper reads: “This paper examines the impact of the UK's decision to leave the European Union (Brexit) in 2016. Using almost a decade of data since the referendum, we combine simulations based on macro data with estimates derived from micro data collected through our Decision Maker Panel survey. These estimates suggest that by 2025, Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, with the impact accumulating gradually over time. We estimate that investment was reduced by between 12% and 18%, employment by 3% to 4% and productivity by 3% to 4%. …“

Brexit reduced the UK’s GDP by between 6% and 8%. That is MASSIVE. #ProjectFear #wetoldyouso

www.nber.org/papers/w3445...

Commission launches first Annual Migration Management Cycle under the Pact on Migration and Asylum Today, the European Commission is taking a further step in implementing the Pact on Migration and Asylum by launching the first Annual Migration Management Cycle.

EU Commission proposes first annual migration policy cycle, under the asylum pact - ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Also proposes a two-year plan for resettlement of refugees/humanitarian admission, as provided for in the pact - ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Labour cools on its House of Lords revolution Labour’s bold manifesto promised to shrink Britain’s ballooning second chamber — but the government’s facing accusations of kicking the problem into the long grass.

SURPRISE!

It’s out! Here’s @LordsEUCom Report ‘Unfinished Business: resetting the UK- EU relationship’. The Gov’t have made a strong start, esp on security and defence, but there’s still much to do in turning aspirations and goodwill into workable agreements 1/8
publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ld...

Let’s do this. 👍

the 900+ page Scotland's Future document which outlined, in great detail, what precisely independence would mean for Scotland.

true but it also offers an opportunity to educate via a referendum.

nobody produced a document that was fact checked, similar to the Scots for the 2014 indyref, for brexit. The vacuum the lack of that created was filled with all sorts of Norway/Swiss/soft/hard types of brexit and lies.

nothing surprises me now with britain and brexit. it's as if they don't have the courage to admit they made a mistake.

Brexit has done untold damage to the UK economy, it’s the elephant in the room syndrome!!

Very good from @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social.

Note this:

"...the boost to growth that either joining the EU's customs union or single market would give. This is likely to be bigger than anything else this government could do to increase living standards."

Sarah Creighton: As the DUP declines to send anyone to President Connolly in Dublin, the scary question is: do we even want reconciliation here? Maybe we like the cycle of outrage and hurt. It’s comfortable and it’s all we know

Wrote for the Irish news. Will Northern Ireland work? The more pressing question: Do we want it to work?

www.irishnews.com/opinion/sara...

Forty years of European History: Crisis, Resilience, Development and Opportunity

Bruegel recently republished an essay written with Leonardo Cadamuro: www.bruegel.org/external-pub.... We try to dispel the despondency too often affecting Europeans and sapping their actions.

Paul Given DUP, laughing & smiling at the cameras in Stormont after losing the No Confidence Vote in Stormont over his ill advised trip to Israel & illegally occupied territories and promoting Israeli propaganda on official NI Departmental channels. He refused to resign.

NI Unionism just missed a golden opportunity to show NI voters they are capable of working with others.

All can see the Israel trip was ill advised. Now all can see is an inability to govern and unaccountability with the trip defended with whataboutery, arrogance & old sectarianism squabbles.

1/2

mainly macro: Labour’s Brexit stance is as untenable as their tax pledge   In my last post about the prospect of Labour breaking its tax pledge, I did something I don’t often do, which is indulge in some ‘I told y...

~ mainly macro: Labour’s Brexit stance is as untenable as their tax pledge ~

https://mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/labours-brexit-stance-is-as-untenable.html

well said.

Reform Council To Double Tax On Second Homes Despite Nigel Farage Calling The Idea 'Madness' A Reform-led council is planning to double council tax on second homes six months after party leader Nigel Farage denounced such policies as “madne...

Another case of Reform saying one thing then doing the other:

A Reform-led council is planning to double council tax on second homes six months after party leader Nigel Farage denounced such policies as “madness” and “extortion”

By me, for Politics Home www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Lovely evening launching Susan’s new novel The Planter’s Daughter - I’m looking forward to reading it!