There’s so much wrong with this, it’s hard to know where to begin…but here’s a first shot. 🧵

https://twitter.com/colinrtalbot/status/1770412059475235326

1: The real national security threats to this country are a) the one posed by the rise in autocratic, populist regimes- Russia, China, perhaps even US, if Trump is reelected, and b) our flailing economy which leaves us ill equipped to respond effectively.

Terrible choice of words. “We want you to be safe”; or “we support Israel’s need to protect itself from terrorists” would be better…alongside insistence that Israel respect international humanitarian law, and does not conflate all Palestinians with Hamas. 🧵

https://twitter.com/emad_badi/status/1715036016032018941

No doubt, loads of people think US/Biden is dreadful for giving strong backing to Israel, yet only he has the authority/leverage to try to restrain Israel from going too far, facilitate humanitarian access to Gaza, and stop conflict spreading.

🧵I wrote this article about Braverman's disgusting speech last week. I've been brewing/stewing on it since. I want to add a few more points. First, as someone who used to advise Home Office on refugee admissions, I can say she is utterly wrong to say 1/ bylinetimes.com/2023/09/27/the… that refugee criteria are being applied too generously. I recall Home Office staff consulting embassies about local conditions and literally begging us to find reasons to be able to reject asylum seekers. Eg, could someone be returned to a different part of their home country?

Yes! Here are all the benefits we’ll see by remaining outside the EU: - free to watch EU and US make the rules, with no input from us;
- free to grapple with migrant issues by ourselves, no longer able to return them to the EU country they came through;🧵

https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1685601359532355584

- Free to wait in the slow lanes at passport controls, while EU members sail through
- Free to spend our own money to help deprived areas, rather than having to receive EU structural funds
- Free to let our scientists invent things more expensively with less int’l collaboration

It’s worse, @annettedittert. There’s no “normal” at all in 🇬🇧 any more. We’re accelerating down a plug hole into a cesspit of lies, deceit, collusion and corruption. I never thought I’d use such extreme language, but actually I don’t have the words to capture my despair.

https://twitter.com/annettedittert/status/1684670027855773697

The UK is entering failed state territory; when political system malfunctions; politicians are motivated by greed; unelected populists call the shots, acting in collusion with media; public services are collapsing; and the Head of State is a puppet.

Oh....alright then, challenge accepted. Here is my ABC guide to current British politics. 🧵

https://twitter.com/ChillaxBcn/status/1669761343476432909

A is for arrogance - as in "attitude of too many in power"; asinine, as in "quality of political debate"; accountability, as in "lack of"; and abuse, as in "systematic".

Superb dissection by @chrisgreybrexit of growing attempts to deflect blame for Brexit on allegedly “remainer” civil servants. I recall 1 week after referendum senior diplomats being instructed by our Perm Sec, that whatever our personal views, it was our duty to help deliver🧵

https://twitter.com/chrisgreybrexit/status/1651847772306386944

(That was the much maligned @SimonMcDonaldUK by the way)🧵

I've been more than usually ranty recently, reflecting that I feel more than usually angry and depressed recently. I hate current divisiveness, rancour, personal abuse in our politics, attacks on civil service, ECHR, migrants, "woke lefties" etc - but I don't mean to add to it.🧵 I deplore many of our politicians, but don't think all politicians are awful; I deplore Brexit, but don't think everyone who supported Brexit is awful; I hate where Tories have taken UK, but don't hate every Tory; I dislike culture wars, but accept there are some sensitive issues

This is a hideous expose of the dysfunctional, ego-driven, selfish chaos at the heart of Johnson’s govt - it’s absolutely sickening to read. I loathe and despise them for what they have done to this country. - ‘I am the Führer, the king’:

thetimes.co.uk/article/103012… What makes me truly livid is temerity of so many govt members and backers, esp in context of Raab affair, to claim that civil service are a problem, when articles like this confirm the complete absence of coherent political leadership or competence.

One week after the Nashville school shooting, and one more reason to avoid holidays in Florida. Senseless and dangerous. While the Governor of Tennessee rejects measures to prevent dangerous people getting access to guns, but proposes armed guards in schools…the solution to gun violence “naturally” being to allow MORE guns in schools 🤦‍♀️

Fascinating discussion on UK-France rel'p post summit. While def "a good thing' in terms of rebuilding relationship/restoring dialogue with imp partner, can't help thinking, as @PeterWilson implicitly noted, that it also shows how much was lost and wasted due to Brexit. 1/4🧵

https://twitter.com/UKandEU/status/1635628901295595520

Because, despite the summit being presented as us "moving on", or "forward" from Brexit, in practice, much of the summit was about repairing the damage, and rebuilding the cooperation, programmes, exchanges etc (eg school trips) that used to happen w/o problems pre-Brexit.2/4

A friend just shared this picture with me, of the British Embassy residence when I was there in 2015. I wanted to make it feel welcoming for my two sons, aged 2 and 6. Looking back, it’s crazy! We rescued the dogs from the streets. The Queen’s portrait was also there, somewhere! In another crazy incident while I was ambassador, my kids jumped out from under the reception table and shot nerf gub bullets at the President of Georgia who we were hosting for dinner. After a tense moment, when his security cocked their guns, everyone burst out laughing!

Johnson desperately trying to cling to the spotlight, sabotaging his successors, and trying to position himself for a comeback, at Northern Ireland, the UK, and…yes, even Ukraine’s expense. Because the path he proposes is the way to trade war with EU, and ruptured alliance. 1/4

https://twitter.com/addicted2newz/status/1631288660703297536

Johnson claims the whole point of Brexit is “divergence” without ever having succeeded in explaining, 7 years on, for what purpose or gain. It is a facile charade of sovereignty, for no benefit except his personal ambitions, but at considerable cost to everyone else. 2/4

My latest article "Does anyone really believe that if Johnson opposes the Windsor deal it will be because he seriously cares about NI? Just as with his approach on Brexit referendum, his only calculation will be whether supporting or opposing will play best for him personally."

https://twitter.com/BylineTimes/status/1630493080943046659

"Johnson, Frost and others of their ilk have already damaged Britain’s economy, democratic institutions and international reputation, through their pursuit of a hard Brexit. Do they want a complete breakdown of the Good Friday Agreement on their hands as well?"

Thank you to @BowenBBC @CliveMyrieBBC @OrlaGuerin @bbclysedoucet and other BBC journalists and their crews for their amazing reporting over the past year bringing home the horror of Ukraine (and sadly other ongoing conflicts as well) 🧵

https://twitter.com/bowenbbc/status/1629089861427666945

I’ve spent the day watching BBC world news, which remains a class act, and feeling unbearably moved by the stories of loss in Ukraine, the devastated cities, and extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the Ukrainian people despite all their suffering

Agree. 30 yrs ago I remember British govt working to secure pardons for Karyn Smith and Patricia Cahill, who spent 3 yrs in Bangkok Hilton after being convicted on heroin smuggling charges, before being flown home…business class paid for by tabloid to whom they sold their story.

https://twitter.com/otto_english/status/1628524841853648896

Ultimate irony…UK narcotics officers had helped to secure their arrest, and UK govt had spent yrs encouraging Thailand to be tough on drug smuggling….before caving to British tabloid campaign to “bring our girls home”. How do I know….?

Rant alert 🧵This moron, and dozens like him, voted FOR Johnson's so-called "oven ready" Brexit deal, which explicitly KEPT NI in the single market and subject to EU law.

https://twitter.com/SimonClarkeMP/status/1627278898202349570

The fact that Johnson lied to you, the DUP and the British electorate about what was in the deal, does not justify your negligence or failure to understand the terms of the deal which YOU supported and voted for.

We're nowhere near as "ethical" as we like to claim. Arthur gives excellent examples of our rel's with some uncomfortable bedmates for econ gain (eg arms sales to Saudi; engagement with Modi in India; allowing China dangerously into our critical infrastr; Russian moneyin UK etc.

https://twitter.com/alexhallhall/status/1625582354973483019

The world's problems are not all our fault. We're not powerful enough to be the determinative player. But we can be an influential swing player. Sometimes, our interventions can be helpful. But, we too often fall short, and make difficult situations worse.

This amazing book, by ex-diplomat @SnellArthur, is one of most disturbing ones I've read in recent years. It ruthlessly dissects British foreign policy over last 25 years, and argues that even when we meant well, our interventions frequently just made things worse. 1/8🧵 @ArthurSnell exposes the inconsistencies and blunders; the lack of long-term thinking; the desire to live up to our national myth, as being a country that "punches above its weight"; the high blown rhetoric about being a "force for good" and the more sordid reality. 2/8🧵

In totally unrelated news, in 2023 a home grown British policeman, David Carrick, pleads guilty to 49 crimes, including 24 counts of rape. In 2021, PC Couzens raped and murdered Sarah Everard. But, sure, it’s the foreigners who are the problem.

https://twitter.com/MigrationWatch/status/1625162380362805249

Where’ve I heard this racist rhetoric before…oh yes, Donald Trump accusing Mexicans of being racists and murderers. bbc.com/news/av/world-…

Harry is ruthlessly critical of himself and his own behaviour. I admire his honest scrutiny of his actions, including his dumb ones. He is to be applauded. But, no, it looks like we will learn nothing from this sad tale. Why does it matter? Because it epitomizes the problems around the institution…the dishonesty of the press, the collusion between courtiers and media barons, and the willingness of the Monarchy to throw one of their sons to the wolves, to protect themselves.