Third anniversary of starting with POLIS

Also very happy to extend my visiting position Surrey Politics

Celebrating by taking part in a webinar later today with UCL Centre for the Pedagogy of Politics ALPSblog

Super lucky to have so many great colleagues

#ItTakesAnAcademicVillage

OMG The Defra UK minister Mark Spencer just said that “we’ve limited the amount of charges that can apply to five per lorry load”...it's NOT. It's five (mad £145) per CHED (ie product declaration). There can be *multiple* on a lorry. Here's EG from Cold Chain Federation /1

Devastating Fergal Keane piece on BBC News (UK) 10 just now, using an American medic’s footage from Gaza. Children nearly dead from starvation-gaunt, lifeless, cadaverous. Unimaginable suffering for innocents.

So has Sangita Myska still not been on her LBC show?
And still no explanation?
Really is starting to get worrying.

I really hope she’s ok. She’s an excellent journalist, a huge asset to LBC.

Policing Minister Chris Philp has just asked if Congo is a different country from Rwanda while on BBC's Question Time 👀

Good analysis here from UKTPO and Adriana Brenis C. on common user charges.

Important to remember that these checks are introduced as part of leaving the EU and MFN treatment requirements under the WTO.

/1

blogs.sussex.ac.uk/uktpo/2024/04/…

Mark Carney,former BoE governor says Brexiteers destroyed the future for Britain;listen to his wise words;why can’t politicians admit when their decisions are wrong & damaging—leave your egos at home! Think country first,egos last!

So, Nigel Farage - one of the founders & owners of Reform UK - can present an “impartial” programme on a TV “news” channel during the general election according to the broadcasting regulator @ofcom. The leader of the party Richard Tice 🇬🇧 & its only MP Lee Anderson MP can…

No spending choices have been made by the PM. An aspirational commitment has been added to lots of others. Apparently to be paid for by going back to pre-Brexit civil servant numbers. Like just 40 trade policy officials.

The absolute state of political debate in the UK.

According to the Egyptian Red Cresent, running the humanitarian aid distribution centre near Rafah, these are the goods Israel blocks from entering Gaza:

⚠️Brexit border latest ⚠️ -- the 'capped' charge of £145 per commodity group for new border charges hides fact that small businesses will face costs of £000s/per month. Defra accused of ignoring fears -- my latest via @ft with William Bain Marco Forgione

ft.com/content/6d0865…

Q: What would a defeated Russia look like?

Professor Timothy Snyder answers.

This story might help those who struggle to understand the moral case for reparations - those who query why people today, who have had nothing themselves to do with slavery, should have any responsibility to people who were never enslaved.

Conservative MP Richard Drax is worth…

A brilliant response by Timothy Snyder to Marjorie Taylor Greene’s accusation of Nazis in Ukraine. As a leading scholar on the subject of nationalism, Snyder makes three points:
1/n

A SUPERB thread from investigative journalist Russell Scott listing some multi million pound properties bought by Tories & associates after profits made through VIP PPE Lane contracts

RT 🧵

Should James Daly MP report this to the police?

Or is there nothing to see here? 🤔

It’s starting to strain the capacity of the human mind to interpret the mess in the politics of the 🇺🇸 with the profoundly disruptive role played by the small but militantly pro-🇷🇺 section of the Republican Party, reinforced by the support of Donald Trump. nationalinterest.org/feature/ukrain…

Astonishing doublethink from Truss here. Praises Trump for arranging initial arms exports to Ukraine. Conveniently omits to mention that no-one has been more instrumental in slowing or stopping American military support, via his influence in Congress, than Trump himself.

Tim Laughton’s simple yet devastating line of inquiry ..
“Yes, but what about the 40 thousand?”

#RwandaPlan

Why Did U.S. Planes Defend Israel But Not Ukraine?
There are some harsh lessons for other nations in the events of the last few days.....
theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

1/ I’m an Israeli academic. My community is still too silent about the war in Gaza. Following my viral tweet last month, this is the updated & expanded version of how I see things based on >1000 articles and 1000s of videos/images of the war. 🧵of summary conclusions: