Ian Dunt

Good lord. What an abject failure the Blue Labour strategy has been.

I've got a tip for the PM that's going to blow his mind. If he thinks about the documents he puts his name to, he'll have to spend less time distancing himself from them.

This is nothing. Just send Mahmood out again to announce some more anti-refugee policies and you can easily find your way to fifth place.

Who knew I could learn to miss the lies of the Iraq war era. But at least they were consistent. At least they could articulate what they were pretending to do.

How can you win a war if no-one can explain what it's for? Riddle me that Batman.

Had thought views of Farage were pretty fixed.

YouGov have him net -37 (a 10 point deterioration since Spring)

Approve: 27%
Disapprove: 64%

It is striking how much the by-election inquest is for the core vote, and may be exacerbating the reputational risks

France to boost nuclear arsenal and extend deterrence to European allies Emmanuel Macron said eight countries could enjoy protection from France's nuclear umbrella - but that Paris would retain sole decision-making power.

France is to boost its nuclear arsenal and extend the deterrent to cover other European countries, in a major development of its nuclear defence policy

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

It's truly extraordinary, all the column inches and earnest pundit chatter about his strategy and personality, when in fact it's all right there, in broad daylight. He's a baby having a tantrum. It's really no more complicated than that.

I only occasionally find myself reading Trump's words but it is still surprising to me, even now, that the world is ruled by someone with the mental age of a five year old.

Can we extract the Reform nonsense from Labour? These immigration proposals are obscene, but the government can be forced to think again.

No administration with a moral core would have put these plans forward, let alone try to enact them without a vote. Once these proposals are in place, they will not be reversed. Make them think again iandunt.substack.com/p/can-we-ext...

Can we extract the Reform nonsense from Labour? These immigration proposals are obscene, but the government can be forced to think again.

The government's immigration proposals are an obscenity: They needlessly punish refugees, make integration basically impossible, and introduce a sliding system of administrative abuse depending on how wealthy you are iandunt.substack.com/p/can-we-ext...

I wonder what she'll think, when she's out of government in a few months time. Was it worth it? Persecuting refugees in order to satisfy an electoral strategy even she probably doesn't believe in. Pissing away the last dregs of your integrity for a plan which has already been shown not to work.

Refugee status becomes temporary in asylum shake-up Adults and accompanied children claiming asylum will only receive refugee status for 30 months under the changes.

Abysmal, immoral, cruel, small hearted, tiny minded, ineffective, undemocratic, and just generally utterly indecent. What a bitter godforesaken disappointment these people are.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Any country should be grateful to have a family like this come stay - people who are enamoured with the place, eloquent, highly educated. But instead we shoot ourselves in the foot.

The treatment at the airport is one thing. But it is a bit heartbreaking to hear him allude to British people in the comments - internet muck - killing off his dream of living in Britain.

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I find this guy one of the most perceptive and generous foreign commentators about the UK. So I suppose that it should come as no surprise that he's having a rough time now he's spending time here www.instagram.com/reel/DVW6Mpf...

Who faced a damn sight more pressure to intervene than Starmer did

Keir Starmer criticised over stance on US-Israel strikes on Iran UK prime minister has adopted a much more ambivalent approach than other western allies

Lord Peter Ricketts, former head of the Foreign Office:

“If you’re going to attack a country you have to show it is in self-defence and that there is some kind of imminent threat. You can’t make that case here…An indifference to international law is dangerous.”

www.ft.com/content/b988...

“We cannot say that the United States’ actions are against international law, but we condemn Iran’s retaliatory actions as against international law,” is neither a coherent nor a compelling position.

I suppose it's impressive that Starmer managed to maintain the correct moral and political position for all of ten minutes. Some kind of record.

We have no "partners in the Gulf". Israel and the US are both de-facto rogue states which do not represent our values or share our interests.

Kind of incredible. I was just sitting down to write about how Starmer should be given credit for keeping us out of this mess when he does this. Unutterably foolish and obsequious. Why in God's name should we have anything to do with this shortsighted madness.

YouTube video by Origin Story 15-Minute Cities – How Urban Design Entered the Culture War | Origin Story

This is so good, we wish WE had made it! The history & lunacy of the disinformation campaign around 15-Minute Cities, by 2 “non experts” @iandunt.bsky.social & @dorianlynskey.bsky.social who show how experts SHOULD be communicating. Thanks to the @originstorypodcast.bsky.social podcast. #UrbanTruth

Thanks very much. Really flattered by that.

I think the logical and likely response is that bourgeois supporters (who make up most Labour MPs, members and voters) will sacrifice Mahmood over migration.

Labour must stop channelling Reform and unite with progressives. That’s the lesson from Gorton and Denton | Sadiq Khan The threat to the party in some parts of our country is now existential. But we can progress, as we have in London, by being bold and strong in our core beliefs, says London mayor Sadiq Khan

"Trying to compete with Reform not only feels inauthentic... but a betrayal of what Labour is supposed to represent. We must address the concerns and fears of voters, not play on them."

Damning stuff from Sadiq Khan

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

I have not seen this discussed yet
bsky.app/profile/sund...

Obscene.

Netanyahu Calls Iran Strikes Necessary To Prevent War He Just Started

Netanyahu Calls Iran Strikes Necessary To Prevent War He Just Started

And on Monday's order paper is a written statement on "asylum changes". Next week would also be when the Spring statement of changes to the immigration rules are often laid.