Yesterday I posted my outrage at this @thetimes and @Channel4News exposure of royal family finances. I regretted my intemperate language and so deleted the tweet. But, re-reading the reports again, I feel there are ample grounds to be genuinely shocked. Consider these snippets 🧵

https://twitter.com/alexhallhall/status/1853148025666855061

The Duchies benefit from favourable tax terms, which give them a competitive edge over other private businesses or property holders.

My head today: I’m not sorry Nasrallah is gone. I’m worried about regional escalation. I’m anguished at so many civilian deaths. I’m worried there’s no exit or end strategy. I don’t support Iran, or Hamas or Hizbollah. I don’t like Netanyahu. I abhor occupation of West Bank 🧵 I dread what might happen to the hostages, if any still alive. I fear for my friend Nabil, and his family, in Gaza. I fear for chaos and more loss of life in Lebanon. I also understand why so many in the region are celebrating Nasrallah’s death.

I’m voting @LibDems. Fortunately, in my constituency, they’re best alternative to Tories anyway. But Labour cowardice and dishonesty on Brexit deserves to cost them votes. Just because I blame the Tories most for our current plight doesn’t mean I must let Labour off the hook. 🧵

https://twitter.com/laylamoran/status/1801693213620613191

It’s tough to write this, because I want Cons to receive historic thumping, and I certainly don’t want to give the snake oil candidates of Reform any opening. I support Starmer as our next PM. But dishonesty over Brexit will handicap ability to grow UK economy and improve lives.

I wasn’t always this way. I was once a loyal civil servant, trying to do my job conscientiously. Even after I resigned, I largely kept my head down, until the growing dysfunction and dishonesty in govt compelled me to speak out, and say “this is NOT normal!” It’s been a journey🧵

https://twitter.com/andrewprlevi/status/1794351333769920749

@mrjamesob on @TheNewsAgents recently described how it wasn’t even Brexit per se that bothered him (tho’ he personally opposed it) but the way in which it was delivered and the ensuing damage to Uk democracy and institutions which outraged him most. I feel exactly the same way.

I remain flabbergasted at the Tories’ gall in continuing to claim black is white, up is down, etc, including the ludicrous claim that they are good stewards of our economy, which has allegedly “outperformed” other major economies. Read this BRUTAL extract from today’s WSJ: 🧵 “Britain has had one of the worst performances of major economies since pandemic, with lower growth, higher inflation and weaker investment than its peers.” “Britain also suffered one of the developed world’s highest per capita death tolls in first year of the pandemic”…

A small anecdote. I attended a DEI awareness course at FCO. Everyone there thought they were already sensitive, aware, “right-on types”, who of course, would never endorse racist, sexist or other discriminatory behaviour. The attendees were completely stunned when….🧵1/5

https://twitter.com/esthermcvey1/status/1789629280261202135

…a Welsh participant, who’d been sitting quietly at the back, largely ignored by everyone, suddenly erupted in anger to say how for years he’d had to listen to english people make endless condescending, unfunny, patronizing swipes and jokes about his nation and people. 2/5

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