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Catherine Royle

@catheriner.bsky.social

100 followers 260 following 43 posts

Recovering British diplomat & former Ambassador. Principal of Somerville College Oxford elect - starting September. Worked for NATO too. Here with my own views. Think we can do better in our world

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · 2d

She didn’t have to start by ruling out customs union or freedom of movement given the narrow result and what was said before the referendum. She put her party before her country

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · 4d

And of course no mention of the human cost - the Argentines now using soup and community kitchens, out of work or whose pensions are now worthless.

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · 11d

A man who has never done anything to make anything better so easy to shout down and ask stupid questions . “Let’s have a bet”about tax rises. Get real

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · 11d

When will #r4today learn we don’t want the attack dog gotcha stuff we want grown up discussion of v complex problems. Grow up Robinson

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · 16d

Moneyboxes next?

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · 26d

It’s not an easy set of circumstances. I really hope you’re right that this is the plan.

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Aug 20

To be fair no-one else has much idea either as we have seen since 2014. Or perhaps they know, but are not willing to do it. The risk of RUS using nukes has hovered over everything since 2022. Small risk maybe. But a risk nonetheless. Poor Ukraine.

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Aug 9

Great read. Interested in what the few women had to say about why there were there. Does the lack of women mean there is still hope of an outbreak of sanity?

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jul 28

A very good listen. Rory sounded shell shocked to be confronted with inequality being the biggest problem in the UK economy. And seemed to think we could just ape the US. Haven’t we tried that - and failed?

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jul 20

Can’t we aim for sooner? And in all rivers and seas? And if we can’t nationalise can we have contracts that include stopping leaks and building reservoirs as well as banning dividends and bonuses if contracts are breached?

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jun 26

Trojan Horse anyone?

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jun 18

Generous. If everything in the world ran to a bossa nova beat it would probably be less aggressive

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jun 12

Someone needs to tell MoD that they can’t do their stuff without an effective FCDO. Deterrence and conflict are tools to manage political and diplomatic issues. In the end everything is political. And that isn’t MoD’s competence

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jun 11

Nothing against increasing defence spending- although the hard bit is spending it well. But.. the biggest danger is that Russia wins without fighting. Let’s tighten rules on political donations, curb the flow of dirty money, restrict foreign ownership of media, protect our democracy & institutions

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jun 10

I would start with believing in evolution

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jun 7

Of course. But v few people understand what diplomats do - and what good diplomacy can prevent. It’s a skill set that is not v visible - for good reason. But we need to find a way to talk about it

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Jun 7

The Diplomatic Service is also underfunded and undervalued. If we want to avoid war rather than fight, then we need to invest in diplomacy. That’s security too

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Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · May 23

Question for the history buffs. Is Trump 2 more like the dissolution of the monasteries or the Chinese Cultural Revolution of 1967?

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · May 20

But our royals are German…

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Mar 23

This was not a calamity. No one died. Lots of people were inconvenienced - including me. Businesses lost money. That’s it

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Mar 2

El Perro Semihundido
-Goya

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Mar 2

When are we going to legislate against foreign ownership of media?

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Mar 1

He issued a revolting, fawning statement afterwards about how right T was and how wrong Z was. They are all complicit

Catherine Royle @catheriner.bsky.social · Mar 1

The US is going to earn a lot less from arms sales once Europe cranks up its industry - as it must