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Anand Menon

@anandmenon.bsky.social

Director @ukandeu Bitter and twisted observer of politics. ‘Not yoda’ (DC) ‘Slightly matey politics don' (Q. Letts) Trustee, @fullfact #LUFC Most views someone else’s

41,321 Followers  |  4,551 Following  |  2,494 Posts  |  Joined: 28.09.2023  |  2.0028

Latest posts by anandmenon.bsky.social on Bluesky

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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

18.10.2025 07:00 — 👍 7    🔁 2    💬 2    📌 0

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

17.10.2025 10:32 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

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.

17.10.2025 10:28 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 3    📌 0

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

17.10.2025 10:17 — 👍 9    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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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...

17.10.2025 08:36 — 👍 4    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0
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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...

17.10.2025 07:56 — 👍 60    🔁 13    💬 5    📌 1
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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...

15.10.2025 11:08 — 👍 16    🔁 11    💬 0    📌 1
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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...

16.10.2025 09:20 — 👍 4    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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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...

16.10.2025 12:40 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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"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

16.10.2025 12:40 — 👍 3    🔁 1    💬 2    📌 0

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

16.10.2025 11:20 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0
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This year's Mackenzie Stuart lecture “Reflections on the Brexit Revolution” will be given by the brilliant Prof @anandmenon.bsky.social on 3 November 2025. Come and join at 5.30pm in the @cambridgelaw.bsky.social @cam.ac.uk @ukandeu.bsky.social chaired by our Director Prof @cbarnard.bsky.social

16.10.2025 10:45 — 👍 8    🔁 4    💬 1    📌 1

Stability is not enough. A bit of boldness is needed too. This seems to be what the Government doesn't get.

16.10.2025 10:13 — 👍 23    🔁 1    💬 3    📌 0
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40 years on from that speech, have a listen as Neil Kinnock reflects on politics then and now on.soundcloud.com/3bkq9XDdvEHq...

16.10.2025 07:01 — 👍 20    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0
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Another FOUR STAR review for my new Tour!!

Come see it or your a muppet.

15.10.2025 16:05 — 👍 9    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 0
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Pro-Palestine activist couple have UK bank account closed without explanation John Nicholson and Norma Turner’s joint retirement savings account was shut by Yorkshire Building Society

I'm assuming Nigel Farage will get very exercised by this kind of de-banking www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

15.10.2025 15:06 — 👍 286    🔁 73    💬 11    📌 8
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UKICE Lunch Hour: the state of the European Union - UK in a changing Europe Join our expert panel as they assess the state of the European Union as it confronts profound economic, political, security and social challenges.

🚨 Don't miss our next online panel 🚨

🇪🇺 Experts @anandmenon.bsky.social, Fabian Zuleeg and Christine Reh will assess the state of the European Union 🇪🇺

💻 Online
📅 Tues 21 Oct, 1pm BST

Sign up now 👇

ukandeu.ac.uk/events/ukice...

15.10.2025 13:54 — 👍 3    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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Europe's hard power problem - UK in a changing Europe Anand Menon reflects on Europe's role in its own security and argues that it must rapidly undo the consequences of underinvestment in defence and relience on the US.

"Yet the EU can only do so much. When it comes to marshalling the use of force, an institution intended to tame rather than to deploy power has its limits."

@anandmenon.bsky.social on Europe's 'hard power problem' and why defence cooperation must go beyond the EU

ukandeu.ac.uk/europes_hard...

15.10.2025 08:21 — 👍 5    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 0
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The yogurt kingpin, the radio DJ coup, and the most interesting island on Earth Madagascar is a fascinating island home to 30+ million people. It's also home to bizarre, volatile politics that virtually nobody knows about. And the president just escaped on a helicopter.

The president (or maybe not president) of Madagascar—a radio DJ who overthrew the island’s yogurt kingpin in a coup d’état—just fled the country in a French helicopter after Gen Z protests. I wrote about the most interesting island you know nothing about, with bonus pictures of me with lemurs:

14.10.2025 10:13 — 👍 348    🔁 106    💬 6    📌 12
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The government is in a serious bind argues @anandmenon.bsky.social: to deliver its manifesto pledges it might have to break its promises .

Catch up on the full discussion about the tough policy choices facing the government 👇
buff.ly/MX9Qayj

14.10.2025 08:29 — 👍 6    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 1
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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...

💥 NEW PODCAST 💥

‼️ @anandmenon.bsky.social is joined by none other than Neil Kinnock in our latest podcast episode

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

🎧 Listen now 🎧

ukandeu.ac.uk/podcasts/lor...

14.10.2025 08:21 — 👍 9    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

Good discussion.

Tim Montgomerie coming across quite reasonable here, saying Reform needs to get rid of its undesirables, praise for Nigel Farage for his work on this so far, distancing himself from people like Tommy Robinson.
bsky.app/profile/ukan...

13.10.2025 18:30 — 👍 1    🔁 1    💬 2    📌 1
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UK talks to join EU defence fund stalled over participation fee British minister Nick Thomas-Symonds says agreement ‘urgent’ after months of delay by Brussels

“This is an instrument to develop the European defence industry.” Feels like we have left Europe as well as the EU.... www.ft.com/content/0f2b...

13.10.2025 18:02 — 👍 46    🔁 17    💬 11    📌 0
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Yesterday marked the launch of the Entry/Exit System (EES)!
To have comprehensive information about how it works, check the official site: travel-europe.europa.eu/ees##
Here is the link to the guidelines published by @fra.europa.eu: fra.europa.eu/en/publicati...

13.10.2025 14:35 — 👍 7    🔁 8    💬 0    📌 0
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"The Conservatives have been in very deep holes before… But the big difference this time is that they face a threat on their right flank, which is something they have never had to face before."

@timbale.bsky.social on whether the Tories face an existential threat

👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivRL...

10.10.2025 14:26 — 👍 13    🔁 4    💬 1    📌 1
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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...

13.10.2025 13:19 — 👍 12    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 0
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A New Chapter for UK-German Relations The Kensington Treaty, signed by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in July, has great potential. But, crucially, its success or otherwise will be linked to EU-UK...

In our fall issue, @jannikewachowiak.bsky.social and @anandmenon.bsky.social write about the potential of the Kensington Treaty, signed by Keir Starmer and Friedrich Merz in July. But, crucially, its success (or otherwise) will be linked to EU-UK relations.

ip-quarterly.com/en/new-chapt...

13.10.2025 11:28 — 👍 5    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
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⏰ TOMORROW ⏰

👀 Keep an eye out for the next episode of The UK in a Changing Europe podcast

@anandmenon.bsky.social is joined by Neil Kinnock, 40 years on from his renowned Party Conference speech

💭 Listen for his reflections on UK politics and how things have (or haven't) changed since then

13.10.2025 09:55 — 👍 5    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

I think it's really important. When we say '50% of kids go to Uni, we forget that that means 50% don't'

13.10.2025 07:55 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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donald trump is wearing a suit and tie while making a funny face . ALT: donald trump is wearing a suit and tie while making a funny face .
13.10.2025 07:50 — 👍 5    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

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