ER 🇪🇺

It's a personal message (piggy-backing on this thread) to Richard. There's a by-election right now 🙂

Btw fyi @richardolszewski.bsky.social ⬆️.You know who I'm talking abt&you may vaguely remember who I am.
I'm sorry to say,like many others probably,I'm not part'ly impressed by Labour (central gov,nothing to do w/ the Council),but this violent person shld never be allowed to sit on the Council again.

After having spent hours door-knocking for her.
After this experience,I know some in this party are not liberal at all,even xenophobic.
I'd still describe myself as a lib.
Ofc,I'm not a member/activist any more.In recent past,I voted Lab & Grn.In local elections nxt year,I'll probably vote Green.2/2

I was a LibDem member and activist between 2018 and 2022 - on the centre-left side of the party.
In 2022, I was physically assaulted in a vicious and targeted way by the local campaign manager/organiser - a personal friend of both the Party Leader's and the President's. 1/2

I could biologically be your dad, although I would have been a young dad...

YouTube video by euronews (deutsch) Heute vor 30 Jahren: Genscher „befreit“ DDR-Flüchtlinge

Was in high-school;a mock art of the type Bild could print.
I agree re. Genschman,forever associated w/ the most famous incomplete sentence ever:"Wir sind zu Ihnen gekommen,um Ihnen mitzuteilen,daß heute Ihre Ausreise..."
As a liberal,moves me to tears even 36y later
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzE_...

The Studios are past the pedestrian crossing,where the long white wall is.It's not white very often,usually covered in graffitis,anything from Israel/Palestine to infatuated declarations to Paul/Ringo😂🤣
It's where Abbey Rd starts,at the junction w/ Grove End Rd,just north of Lord's Cricket Grnd.2/2

Sorry you missed it.
Failing that, you can take a virtual "tour" courtesy of Google Street View.
www.google.com/maps/@51.531...
As you can see, the small wall in front of the mansion block where they stand ⬆️ is still there. 1/2

It's always existed.I remember when I was a teenager doing a parody of BIld Zeitung ("Die verlorene Ehre der Katarina Blum").I remember it was a mock article abt Hans-Dietrich Genscher(poor Genschman😂)having been spotted abandoning puppies on the motorway😂🤣
The thing is now it's much more prevalent.

There's also the faragist Daily Fakepress 🤮🤮🤮, and even now the Torygraph, which was once a respectable and serious if conservative (not my political leaning 🙂) newspaper, and has now gone down the rabbit hole with the Tory party. And as Prof. Peers said ⬆️, the Times as well. 2/2

Yes.
And to be fair, the racist/xenophobic/europhobic readership in England is not even limited to the Daily Heil, in print or online, either. 1/2

Been told that "this house is not for foreigners" after ringing on someone's door-bell button, been harassed, and even been physically assaulted.
However, I also did a one-year long project in Glasgow in 2019 & I remember + can testify how it immediately "felt" different as soon as I arrived 🙂. 2/2

I'll plead guilty,I keep doing this,and thanks for reminding me/us.I said this before:
My view tends (unwittingly) to be England-centric,b/c I've been living in London for the past 30 or so years & even in (largely pro-Remain) London,on a/c of my foreign accent,I've been told to "go back home" 1/2

EU citizens awaiting UK residency status have right to travel, Home Office told Statutory body expresses ‘serious concerns’ over difficulties faced by some applicants taking short trips abroad

yes, they complain and at the same time, some EU citizens are in the limbos of the UK's administration
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Brexit wasn’t a mystery box—its architects promised tighter borders, reduced free movement, and “taking back control.” Now that those promises have real-life consequences, it’s revisionist to act shocked. Own the outcome.

Yes it's quite funny to read that Mr Holden is complaining :" We’re once again a rule taker, not a rule maker, and we have nothing to show for it."
Of course UK is a rule taker. Since brexit.

I'll blame all politicians (on both sides of the in/out debate before+after #EURef2016) for not engaging in explaining the choice to be made in terms of trade-offs:"We can have this (control over our borders,our money,etc), but we'll have to give up that (being a rule-maker,our opt-outs,trade,etc)."

Valid point+come-back.
The limitations inherent to a limited # of characters...
If nothing else,I was not implying that this⬆️was Prof. Peers' view.
Having said this,it can't be denied that the Daily Heil has its readership,and conversely influences how part of the British public sees itself & RoE.

Yes.
In addition,it always strikes me how 🇬🇧 sees itself locked seemingly forever in some sort of war w/ the rest of Europe. Look at the language:"stand up","fight".Like some re-enactment of that "glorious" time for 🇬🇧 when 🇬🇧 won (on its own ofc) WWII. Whereas 🇪🇺 is mainly a peace project.
What a pity!

Starmer urged to stand up to EU over tough holiday checks on Brits Keir Starmer was challenged to 'stand up' for Britain and fight tough new checks for UK citizens travelling to the EU.

The folks who wanted to leave the EU and end free movement - include Farage himself - chose this outcome and are fully responsible for it. And the Mail article repeats the "travel insurance" and "return ticket" falsehoods from the Times article.
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

Well, as a EU citizen I have to pay an entry fee for the UK now, so I really don't mind Brits having to wait at the EU borders and being checked.

We must be sure also that they don't overstay their visit. Don't need no illegals from over the Channel.
🤷🏻‍♂️

3/ "don't ... ever" is you once again putting words in my posts. I still live in hope that some day, 🇬🇧 (the vast majority of its population) will change, including in how it perceives itself and 🇪🇺. That day hasn't come yet, as evidenced by this thread. 6/6 /End

And I for one (fwiw) would not welcome 🇬🇧 again as a M/S unless and until it becomes a positive, collaborative member. Which means in particular giving up any sense of entitlement, of something being "owed" to 🇬🇧. 5/n

2/ Yes, 🇬🇧 was increasingly becoming a bad actor as an 🇪🇺 M/S - being obtrusive and an obstacle. It may not please you to hear this, but that's how 🇬🇧 was perceived. So there's part of Brexit that's "Good riddance" - to that 🇬🇧 as a bad actor. 4/n

No clue what shape it could take in reality, or if 🇪🇺 could be interested. But that's what EFTA is about - a trading relationship with non EU M/S. It's not either a M/S or "nothing to do with 🇬🇧". However, I am strongly against 🇬🇧 joining again as a M/S in the current state of 🇬🇧. 3/n

Also,since apparently,based on many/most so-called pro-EU Bleeps in 🇬🇧, all 🇬🇧 wants is a trading relationship with 🇪🇺 in order to regain its lost GDP, I'm all for a better trading relationship. I said in the past "EFTA-like" (in order to avoid the hurdle of existing EFTA M/S having to approve it). 2/n

Richard, you are either misconstruing or willfully misrepresenting what I'm saying.

1/ There are multiple options in terms of 🇬🇧-🇪🇺 relationship. I'm all for some form of Security & Defence alliance. 1/n

It simply does not exist.
All M/S have equal voice (e.g. 🇮🇪 during Brexit negs)
That's why we have a rotating Presidency of the 🇪🇺Council - so that each M/S can take turn to promote its own vision+agenda - as well as the agenda of the Council as a whole.
Until🇬🇧understands this,it's better kept out.2/2

Exactly. Also, as a sub-text, there are only two statuses: in or out.
There is no "heart of Europe" as per above ⬆️.
There is no mythical special place that the UK would "deserve" (by virtue of its economy, maybe?) if and when it becomes a M/S again, with special privileges and power. 1/2

The UK also needs to understand and embrace the fact that the EU is so much more than just a large market…until that happens the UK will not belong in the EU.