Have to say I’m completely amazed that Tories think they can get away with this “National Conservatism” nonsense whilst still pretending they’re not a far right party. Braverman, Gove, Rees-Mogg all speaking at the conference.

1/2

https://twitter.com/David_K_Clark/status/1650253444622548994

You’d think that in 2023, with the insurrectionist crisis in America and Russia carrying out genocide in Ukraine, the risks of nationalist conservatism are clear. Apparently not. Instead the Tories are trying to make it respectable.

2/2

salon.com/2022/06/24/nat…

I live down a narrow lane at the bottom of a steep hill that doesn't get gritted. When it snows, getting down is slippery. Leaving (uphill) is impossible unless you have a 4x4. So people get stuck. Yesterday this delivered a lesson in the social costs of Neo-liberalism. 1/7 Two delivery drivers got stuck at the same time by my house yesterday. One from @Tesco - a bit stressed as he had a tight schedule of deliveries. But he was okay - he's an employee of a large company which has paid for a recovery service. They sent a truck which got him out. 2/7

Beginner’s guide to the #UkraineConflict. 5 things that’re important.

1 HISTORY
No point arguing about Kievan Rus (Google it). 🇺🇦 has been an independent state since USSR ended. As has Russia, Estonia, Azerbaijan etc. So, if you accept existence of any, you accept them all. 2 NUKES
When USSR ended, 🇺🇦 inherited ex-Soviet nukes. It gave them up in return for 🇬🇧🇺🇸🇷🇺🇫🇷🇨🇳 guarantees on “independence and sovereignty and the existing borders” of 🇺🇦. So, although it’s not in NATO, Ukraine is supposed to have protection.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_w…

Raphael Marshall has done a great service in revealing the chaos inside FCDO during the evacuation. But there’s a bigger issue affecting even greater numbers of Afghans with a strong link to the UK.

Thread

1/5 In the chaos of late August there were always going to be deserving candidates who couldn’t make it to the airport, even if our operations had been running perfectly. So the government recognised this and set up the Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme.
2/5
gov.uk/guidance/afgha…

Overheard in an HM Treasury meeting room:

“Britain has a productivity problem. We need to stop relying on cheap imported labour and change the economic model.”

“Right. So where are the most productive countries? What immigration model do they use?”

“Er…” “What about Australia? We’re getting an Australian-style immigration system, aren’t we?”

“Umm..”