This is one result of the 7-year-long, £10 million Chilcot Inquiry: a comprehensive, detailed & crucial guide to avoiding another disastrous war like Iraq. You can understand why Tony Blair ignores its lessons, but every other warmonger in the UK?
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a81f1...
Absolutely insupportable. Labour have a massive majority. It’s a hugely popular issue. To fail to act would be a dereliction of historic proportions, and utterly inexplicable.
The wailing, gnashing of teeth and sheer catastrophising over the Greens’ by election victory! Maybe it had something to do with their policies, most (not all) of which resonate with many people. And a rather good candidate. app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/72550/...
Hannah Spencer walking into Westminster, sucking her teeth, tutting, and muttering "tell you what, you've had some cowboys in here."
I'm no political strategist but has anyone in Labour considered *not* alienating any huge chunk of their base? I just feel like they tried alienating the left and the centre left and the public sector workers and the academics, and none of those things worked great, so maybe give my idea a whirl?
It is worth recalling that the position of U.K. Ambassador to the US was not vacant at the time the Prime Minister chose to appoint Peter Mandelson to the role. A highly competent and respected woman was replaced.
My favourite way of saying “we’re on it” or “we’ll take care of that for you” is the Dutch we zullen dat varkentje wel even wassen. It means “we will certainly get that piglet washed.”
Agreed- I nearly choked yesterday when I read of a potential Reform supporter saying “Well, we’ve got nothing to lose, have we?” What about the NHS, for one?
Worth remembering when looking at the horrific scenes in the US right now that both Reform and the Tories have pledged to bring in ICE-style organisations to the UK if they win power
The US granted visas to Jews but only allowed 30,000 in from Germany a year. You had to wait for your number to come up.
Meet Robert Smallbones. An unassuming British diplomat who 'hacked' this system so effectively (saving 48 THOUSAND Jews) the UK government kept his scheme secret for decades /1 🧵
Let tonight be a lesson to all of us: Make sure you have established your own, and are aware of your loved ones', advance directives.
Do you want to be awakened from your slumber when It Happens? Or do you want to find out when you awake naturally and unlock your phone? Let your loved ones know.
Main impression after 2 days in London: any politician, official or commentator who now prioritizes party politics, petty scores or their personal career advancement over dealing with this crisis should find a new job.
Time to be serious.
As a lot of serious people have said for a very long time.
I wonder what Londoners know that the rest of the country don’t?
Frans Van Mieris’ self-portrait of himself interrupting his singing wife Cunera by passing her a glass of wine ~ music suggests harmony, the pet dog suggests fidelity, & I’m particularly enjoying the still-life of the flowers at L (The Interrupted Song, 1671)
www.petitpalais.paris.fr/en/oeuvre/in...
“Essentially the U.S. has taken over Venezuela by mistake” - arthursnell.substack.com/p/stranger-t...
There is, to my mind, no justification for the continued use by the UK Government of X as a platform for official comms. There hasn't been for some time, in fact, but if the latest developments around AI-generated image abuse and CSAM don't change the policy I really don't know what will.
It's New Year, so time to look back and forward. These are 10 things I think we need to recognise in 2026. It’s a response to what I think are profoundly damaging mistaken assumptions I’ve heard and read from practitioners, journalists, and analysts in 2025. Warning: very long🧵
Rather depressingly, I have to be an intellectual property lawyer all over again.
One of the strongest justifications for the ECHR and the Human Rights Act is that they provide (some) protection when a government wants to take punitive action against people it decides it doesn’t like - including for politically expedient, even irrational, capricious or ephemeral reasons
Insurance would refuse to pay out because you put "Tapestry" on the policy and actually it's an embroidery.
I only found out this year that you could cook them in advance, freeze them and re-heat in the hot oven in the time taken to dish up everything else. Perfect results -Aunt Bessie, eat your heart out.
Not enough electric sockets in the utility room to try out the new espresso machine at the same time as heating up the Christmas pudding in the slow cooker. Possibly only a U.K. issue.
And you, fellow Vivienne!
Two golden retrievers asleep on a bed
Sharing my own spare room, so not sure whether this counts for #duvetknowitschristmas
Saluting the happy morn will be happening soon as it’s nearly breakfast time.
Known in Wells as the Bishop’s Scissors.
MARY: I slammed the screen door, and the first thing he said was he hated being alone, and we weren’t that young anymore. I said, “Get off my porch.” Then he said, “You ain’t a beauty, but hey, you’re all right.” I said, “Get out of my driveway.”
It was the part about cables that really struck a cord.
O Western wind, when wilt thou blow/ That the small rain down can rain? / Christ, that my love were in my arms/ And I in my bed again.
I remember those lovely lines in Watchet - brought a little bit of magic to the day.
