@guypatching.bsky.social
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Speaking as a Brexiteer, this is an excellent piece.
It's six years today since Britain left the EU.
I wrote this on Brexit day in 2020, about the strategic dilemmas to which European membership had once been the answer and that would now reopen once Britain left.
I'd stand by most of it today.
gladstonediaries.blogspot.com/2020/01/brex...
I wrote this on Brexit day in 2020, about the strategic dilemmas to which European membership had once been the answer and that would now reopen once Britain left.
I'd stand by most of it today.
gladstonediaries.blogspot.com/2020/01/brex...
Brexit in Historical Perspective: The Age of Britain in Europe
When the bell tolls at eleven o’clock tonight, ringing out Britain’s membership of the EU, an entire phase of British history will ...
gladstonediaries.blogspot.com
January 30, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Speaking as a Brexiteer, this is an excellent piece.
Reposted
Reposted
In a speech to the World Economic Forum, Mark Carney says middle powers such as Canada must accept that the rules-based international order is effectively dead, and great power rivalry with is here to stay. Key excerpt:
January 20, 2026 at 3:48 PM
In a speech to the World Economic Forum, Mark Carney says middle powers such as Canada must accept that the rules-based international order is effectively dead, and great power rivalry with is here to stay. Key excerpt:
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I'm pretty sure that if you empowered civil servants to save money they would do so because it's people on the ground who understand where the duplications and inefficiencies lie, not HMT and outside experts. But HMT has never trusted other civil servants www.ft.com/content/2c48...
UK Treasury to review wasteful spending by Whitehall departments
Outside experts will help assess where government initiatives can be more joined-up
www.ft.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:35 PM
I'm pretty sure that if you empowered civil servants to save money they would do so because it's people on the ground who understand where the duplications and inefficiencies lie, not HMT and outside experts. But HMT has never trusted other civil servants www.ft.com/content/2c48...
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1/ Something which I don't think gets articulated clearly often enough is that a system where countries generally respect international sovereignty and territorial integrity is not pure charity or morality by the United States, but in its direct interests.
Despite it being the strongest bear.
Despite it being the strongest bear.
January 17, 2026 at 10:24 AM
1/ Something which I don't think gets articulated clearly often enough is that a system where countries generally respect international sovereignty and territorial integrity is not pure charity or morality by the United States, but in its direct interests.
Despite it being the strongest bear.
Despite it being the strongest bear.
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Explain to me how this would happen.
The fucking mechanics of it. Explain them to me.
Russia or China, storming the beaches of an EU and NATO member state terrotiry which includes a fucking US military base on it in a take and hold maneuver a bazillion miles from their nearest supply lines?
The fucking mechanics of it. Explain them to me.
Russia or China, storming the beaches of an EU and NATO member state terrotiry which includes a fucking US military base on it in a take and hold maneuver a bazillion miles from their nearest supply lines?
January 16, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Explain to me how this would happen.
The fucking mechanics of it. Explain them to me.
Russia or China, storming the beaches of an EU and NATO member state terrotiry which includes a fucking US military base on it in a take and hold maneuver a bazillion miles from their nearest supply lines?
The fucking mechanics of it. Explain them to me.
Russia or China, storming the beaches of an EU and NATO member state terrotiry which includes a fucking US military base on it in a take and hold maneuver a bazillion miles from their nearest supply lines?
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It makes me so angry because these are not serious people and we are forced to pretend they are or get scolded for being elitists insufficiently open to new stalls in the marketplace of ideas when we point out a prerequisite for the debate stage should be understanding how literally anything works.
January 16, 2026 at 10:25 PM
It makes me so angry because these are not serious people and we are forced to pretend they are or get scolded for being elitists insufficiently open to new stalls in the marketplace of ideas when we point out a prerequisite for the debate stage should be understanding how literally anything works.
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Political pundit class in the United Kingdom yearns for the days when every story could be a no-facts-only-vibes "what does <latest thing> mean for the political fortunes of Boris Johnson?" blag, and actively resents the way complicated events in the outside world keep pushing them to do real work.
This intro to David Frost's Telegraph column sums up so much that is wrong with British politics.
January 16, 2026 at 9:22 AM
Political pundit class in the United Kingdom yearns for the days when every story could be a no-facts-only-vibes "what does <latest thing> mean for the political fortunes of Boris Johnson?" blag, and actively resents the way complicated events in the outside world keep pushing them to do real work.
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Reminder: The US has refused to join the International Criminal Court because it argues extraterritorial justice is incompatible with national sovereignty and citizen's rights.
Vance pushes back and says this was not illegal, arguing "Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas."
January 3, 2026 at 4:39 PM
Reminder: The US has refused to join the International Criminal Court because it argues extraterritorial justice is incompatible with national sovereignty and citizen's rights.
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Can't wait for Robin Ince to get as many column inches in the national press over his actual establishment silencing due to his stance on lgbt+ rights as phobes get over their former friends not wanting to hang out so much any more
December 13, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Can't wait for Robin Ince to get as many column inches in the national press over his actual establishment silencing due to his stance on lgbt+ rights as phobes get over their former friends not wanting to hang out so much any more
Reposted
Reposted
Government has now - belatedly -published the impact assessment for the changes to skilled worker and care worker visas announced in May.
Impact is estimated between -£2 billion and £-10 billion (central - £10 billion).
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6937e6...
Impact is estimated between -£2 billion and £-10 billion (central - £10 billion).
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6937e6...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
December 9, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Government has now - belatedly -published the impact assessment for the changes to skilled worker and care worker visas announced in May.
Impact is estimated between -£2 billion and £-10 billion (central - £10 billion).
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6937e6...
Impact is estimated between -£2 billion and £-10 billion (central - £10 billion).
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6937e6...
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A few months ago I was at an event where the relevant Secretary of State was taking questions, dominated by the press trying to get him to say the wrong thing. It was a complete farce and nothing to do with holding ministers to account.
December 9, 2025 at 1:13 PM
A few months ago I was at an event where the relevant Secretary of State was taking questions, dominated by the press trying to get him to say the wrong thing. It was a complete farce and nothing to do with holding ministers to account.
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Sorry but this is exactly the gotcha style of questioning that inevitably brings democracy into disarray. Governments can't actually say everything they want about foreign leaders because that is diplomacy. Headline either way. And unscrupulous leaders who don't care are the winners.
Keir Starmer’s spokesman refuses to criticise Trump for calling Europe a group of “decaying” nations led by “weak” leaders
Asked about Trump saying European countries will no longer be “viable" thanks to migration, Keir Starmer’s spokesman says the UK is “returning control to our asylum system”
Asked about Trump saying European countries will no longer be “viable" thanks to migration, Keir Starmer’s spokesman says the UK is “returning control to our asylum system”
December 9, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Sorry but this is exactly the gotcha style of questioning that inevitably brings democracy into disarray. Governments can't actually say everything they want about foreign leaders because that is diplomacy. Headline either way. And unscrupulous leaders who don't care are the winners.
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Can't believe there weren't budget lines called "woke nonsense" and "free stuff for scary immigrants" they could cut to fully fund the rest of government.
Reform UK went into Durham Council promising to find huge savings. They have managed to GROW the authority's deficit by over £11m *in the last two months*.
Grimes recommends “serious consideration” to increasing council tax “by the maximum 5%.” ~AA
northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politic...
Grimes recommends “serious consideration” to increasing council tax “by the maximum 5%.” ~AA
northeastbylines.co.uk/news/politic...
Reform cabinet backs £10mn cuts to start filling Durham’s growing black hole
Reform is now learning that running a big council is not as easy as it probably thought
northeastbylines.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Can't believe there weren't budget lines called "woke nonsense" and "free stuff for scary immigrants" they could cut to fully fund the rest of government.
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Don't Panic: Britain is not broken. The UK can do better, but we shouldn't be too gloomy about things. If you look at the stats, there's a lot to be happy with (including how happy we are): adamcorlett.com/2025/11/30/d...
Don’t Panic: Britain is not broken – adamcorlett.com
adamcorlett.com
November 30, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Don't Panic: Britain is not broken. The UK can do better, but we shouldn't be too gloomy about things. If you look at the stats, there's a lot to be happy with (including how happy we are): adamcorlett.com/2025/11/30/d...
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Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
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Just the good, friendly, morale-boosting kind of racism.
“I would never ever do it in a hurtful or insulting way”
Nigel Farage responds to allegations of racist behaviour from when he was a teenager at school
@itvnewspolitics.bsky.social
Nigel Farage responds to allegations of racist behaviour from when he was a teenager at school
@itvnewspolitics.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Just the good, friendly, morale-boosting kind of racism.
I'll take that bet
November 17, 2025 at 4:07 PM
I'll take that bet
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I also wish people would spell out the alternative proposal here.
"We should have kept tariffs and capital restrictions on China skyhigh in the hopes it never became a competitive industrial producer, trapping hundreds of millions in subsistance poverty and raising the cost of everything."
"We should have kept tariffs and capital restrictions on China skyhigh in the hopes it never became a competitive industrial producer, trapping hundreds of millions in subsistance poverty and raising the cost of everything."
This is also said about Europe's approach to China and I simply don't believe this is true. I was at conferences with senior US folk in the early 2010s and none thought China would become more democratic or liberal.
We thought we could compete.
We thought we could compete.
November 10, 2025 at 9:53 PM
I also wish people would spell out the alternative proposal here.
"We should have kept tariffs and capital restrictions on China skyhigh in the hopes it never became a competitive industrial producer, trapping hundreds of millions in subsistance poverty and raising the cost of everything."
"We should have kept tariffs and capital restrictions on China skyhigh in the hopes it never became a competitive industrial producer, trapping hundreds of millions in subsistance poverty and raising the cost of everything."
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Boy, sure doesn't SEEM like wall to wall coverage of Mamdani dragged down Democratic turn out or juiced opposition in other races... 🤔🤔
Maybe the reactionary pundit class are fucking idiots?
Maybe the reactionary pundit class are fucking idiots?
November 5, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Boy, sure doesn't SEEM like wall to wall coverage of Mamdani dragged down Democratic turn out or juiced opposition in other races... 🤔🤔
Maybe the reactionary pundit class are fucking idiots?
Maybe the reactionary pundit class are fucking idiots?