Zach Elsbury
@zachelsbury.bsky.social
1.3K followers 1.4K following 5.3K posts
🏳️‍🌈 🇦🇺 - transport - politics - flying
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zachelsbury.bsky.social
Hopefully we’ll be able to say the same thing about the leadership soon.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
From „that was me“ after his Conference speech to trying to appease Reform not even the day after.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
Financial security? In this economy?!
zachelsbury.bsky.social
They probably won’t have Kuching a choice in May
zachelsbury.bsky.social
Right down to trying to make nice with an authoritarian regime.

I simply cannot wait for that man to be thrown from No 10 when the PLP get their act together.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
He‘s surrounded himself with yes-men while ousting those with principles (eg Haigh and Rayner). He seems to only care about staying in No 10 instead of doing anything positive.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
It’s not just that he seems to think it a dirty word, he just doesn’t seem to have anything that resembles a political philosophy. From calling out Reform policy as racist one day to copying it the next.

That lack of a philosophy leaves those he’s surrounded himself to do what they like (eg Powell)
zachelsbury.bsky.social
It’s the politics of non-confrontation … which sums up Starmerism to a T.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
Starmer‘s complete rejection of possessing a coherent political philosophy is so poisonous and damaging.

That man is thoroughly unfit to draw a bath, let alone lead government.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
But that’s all they’ll do. Just talk and no action.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
And yet Labour policy is to do nothing more than tweaking around the edges while accepting the Brexit settlement foisted on the UK by the Tories.
Reposted by Zach Elsbury
columnist.bsky.social
If it’s self damaging for the Conservatives to continue to profess their support for a Brexit no one likes, it’s incoherent - and self damaging - for Labour to both dislike Brexit but at the same time to (largely) support it in its current form.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
The Labour government increased the block grant last year.

Swinney is resorting to Farage-esque scapegoating and othering to sell snake oil.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
The irony being the NHS in Scotland is fully-devolved…
zachelsbury.bsky.social
He’s more sense than the Jovian Prince
zachelsbury.bsky.social
How can any British government make nice with China and hope they’re the antidote to the UK‘s anaemic growth?
zachelsbury.bsky.social
Beijing has a long history of abusing human rights - especially against the Uyghur people. They continue to support Russia financially during their war in Ukraine and hybrid actions against other Allies. Not to mention their intimidation of British nationals both in HK and the UK.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
Compare and contrast with London trying to make nice with Beijing … human rights concerns be-damned.
noahbarkin.bsky.social
Unusual times call for unusual measures. The Dutch government has not shied away from taking measures that infuriate Beijing when its security is judged to be under threat. Other European countries can learn from this.
on.ft.com/4haELYH
Dutch government takes control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia
Move by The Hague escalates frictions between western countries and Beijing over access to high-end technology
on.ft.com
zachelsbury.bsky.social
Given public opinion is firmly against Brexit - from it being viewed as a mistake, lack of overt support, and majority support for nominal accession - I'm not sure a Royal Commission could reasonably be presented to the majority of the electorate as a stitch-up.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
However, a Royal Commission requires HMG to summon one. Given Starmer's two-faced approach to European unity, I doubt he or his ministry would be inclined to.
zachelsbury.bsky.social
While yes, the media are more focussed on EU measures at the moment, the UK‘s recent border changes aren’t entirely comparable to EES, nor would it make sense for British media to focus so intensely on something that doesn’t affect British citizens.