Anand Menon

For what it's worth, I don't think the government should be commenting on every repulsive thing said by Conservative backbenchers. (Though their own leader should take a view).

What it *should* be doing is articulating a clear position of its own. It's *that* silence which is the big problem.

Worth saying that despite asking for more than 12 hours we’ve had nothing back from Labour on this

Decide on a plan for social care now. Will take time to implement but there will be credit for doing it if they sell it right and it will have a huge impact

I’m not asking for short term gains. I’m asking for boldness in tackling at least one of the big structural issues. And that will produce benefits before 2029

This map shows the countries that explicitly and openly support India for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council. To me it makes sense to have geopolitical power of India's size represented in international relations at the highest level. Source: buff.ly/BOgp8GL

NOT MY FAULT

If we don’t address some of the serious long term challenges we face now, when will we?

Britain's Keir Starmer Is Running Out of Time The Labour government must start being bold and delivering quickly or it will keep haemorrhaging support, writes Anand Menon.

"It is hard to avoid the impression that Starmer and his Labour Party felt that simply not being the Conservatives was enough not only to get elected but to kick-start the economy. While the first assumption proved well founded, the second has not". time.com/7326397/uk-s...

Homeward bound: Can refugees visit their home country? - UK in a changing Europe Catherine Barnard, Fiona Costello and Ali Ahmadi explain whether individuals granted refugee status in the UK can travel back to their home country

"UK rules discourage or prohibit refugees from travelling back to the country they have fled, with specifics varying by status and scheme."

✍️ @cbarnard.bsky.social, @fionacostello.bsky.social & Ali Ahmadi explain whether refugees can visit their home countries

ukandeu.ac.uk/can-refugees...

"Legal and treaty commitments to foreigners don’t count, even if we’ve already made them, because ‘our people’, however defined, come first....It is....not simply immoral but just plain thick". 👏🏾👏🏾

a map of netherlands with flags and a cartoon character ALT: a map of netherlands with flags and a cartoon character

HEADS-UP! 🚨

On Wednesday October 29, the Netherlands will holds its 9th (!) legislative elections of the 21st century. I will continue to post disproportionately about my country of birth and citizenship (but not of residence) in the coming weeks.

This will be my thread for Dutch news! 🧵

Interesting indeed.

Blaming the OBR for the Budget maths is a waste of time The government must explain why tax reform is necessary and desirable for fiscal sustainability

Great piece by @jdportes.bsky.social on why it makes no sense to blame the OBR for our fiscal dilemmas. www.ft.com/content/a06d...

And you've got to wonder what this does to public opinion in a country that joins under these conditions. It's not like the EU is unaware of the populist accusation that it is too remote and unresponsive.

New EU members could join without full voting rights New plan is the latest attempt to breathe life into an expansion process that is currently being blocked by Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán and others.

The EU seems a lot keener on 'no rights without obligations' than it is on the inverse... www.politico.eu/article/new-...

True, but she also got to announce the maintenance grant at conference

Britain's Keir Starmer Is Running Out of Time The Labour government must start being bold and delivering quickly or it will keep haemorrhaging support, writes Anand Menon.

I wrote something for Time Magazine (that sounds so cool) on why the Government needs to get out of its defensive crouch quickly time.com/7326397/uk-s...

Well, No 10 could hardly have helped Bridget Phillipson more, with media rounds and juicy announcements to make.

Your regular reminder that scrapping ILR for people who have come here and played by the rules, which is what Lam proposes here, is a position supported by 3% of the public

Lord Neil Kinnock on that party conference speech - UK in a changing Europe In 1985, Neil Kinnock delivered one of the most dramatic political speeches of modern times at Labour Party Conference. “…implausible promises don’t...

🔍 Looking for some weekend listening?

🎧 Why not switch on the UK in a Changing Europe podcast with @anandmenon.bsky.social and Neil Kinnock

💬 40 years on from his dramatic conference speech, they reflect on "the grotesque chaos" then and ponder paralells with today

Well precisely. So the change in tone won’t achieve anything beyond what is already agreed.

Some are. But the uK wants to align in other sectors short of Single Market membership, and that crosses and EU red line, so the impediments are on both sides. Unless you think 'you can have more but only on our terms' is indicative of great flexibility.

Yeah, the EU are famous for giving generous concessions if the other side asks nicely.

What the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska reveals about US foreign policy - UK in a changing Europe Ruth Deyermond reflects on the recent summit held in Alaska between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin about the Russo-Ukraine war and the subsequent diplomatic efforts from European leaders. She argues ...

Yesderday, Trump held what he described as a “productive” call with Putin, and told reporters he’d be meeting him in Turkey soon

Ahead of their meeting, read @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social's analysis of their summit in Alaska and what it reveals about US foreign policy 👇

ukandeu.ac.uk/what-the-tru...

Kemi Badenoch wants to end ‘rip-off degrees’ – but I wouldn’t have created Horrid Henry without mine | Francesca Simon I studied Old and Middle English. Although I didn’t know it, I couldn’t have chosen a better subject to train me to become a children’s author, says author Francesca Simon

I'm not sure Yale and Oxford are what Kemi has in mind www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Deglobalisation in disguise? - UK in a changing Europe Shania Bhalotia, Swati Dhingra and Danyal Arnold explain their study on the effect of Brexit on the UK's ability to export services abroad. They argue that exporters now face higher trade costs, more ...

What has Brexit meant for the UK's ability to export services abroad?

Shania Bhalotia, Swati Dhingra and Danyal Arnold argue it has caused:
📈 Higher trade costs
⭕ More red tape
📉 Fewer opportunities

Find out more about their study 👉 ukandeu.ac.uk/deglobalisat...

Relations with Europe are becoming more of a dividing line for the mainstream parties - UK in a changing Europe In the wake of party conference season, Jill Rutter reflects on how much attention was paid to the UK's relationship with the EU at the Liberal Democrat, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Green Party ...

"One thing is clear: in stark contrast to the late 2010s, party conferences are not the place to go for really vigorous debates about the UK’s future relationship with Europe."

@jillongovt.bsky.social argues that UK-EU relations is a dividing line in UK party politics

ukandeu.ac.uk/uk-eu-relati...

UKICE Lunch Hour: the state of the right YouTube video by UK in a Changing Europe

For a full and frank assessment of the state of the right in the UK, you can catch up on the conversation in full here 👇

www.youtube.com/live/ivRLHUb...

"I think the two party system does look to me to be very broken… And so we could have the most unpredictable general election of modern times. And it's going to really test voters' faith in democracy."

🔮 Tim Montgomerie reluctantly offers his predictions on the next general election in the UK

GET YOUR FREE TIX NOW!! 👇

Tues evening, The Plough. Free drinks.

Prof Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social will be speaking on the various challenges – international and domestic – confronting the UK. Looking at how these interact, and what, if anything, the government could do to mitigate them