Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · 5d

If you ever wondered where the term “usual channels” comes from, in 1905, PM Arthur Balfour used it in a response to a parliamentary question, asking MPs to communicate with a colleague “through the usual channels”.

A perfect read for parliamentary geeks ( & as a pub quiz prep!)

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · 9d

That other football, with reasonable VAR

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · 13d

This, by @shaunwalker7.bsky.social, is excellent. At times, it reads like a spy novel akin to John le Carré.

Highly recommended!

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Sep 13

Saturday, sun, football by the river

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Sep 11

An extremely important report from the House of Lords International Agreements Committee looking into parliamentary scrutiny of international treaties and agreements.

Worth noting that IAC is the only parliamentary body dedicated to treaty scrutiny.

📖 publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld5901/ld...

publications.parliament.uk

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Reposted by Jarek Wisniewski

House of Commons @houseofcommons.parliament.uk · Sep 10

🔴Shadow Defence Secretary, James Cartlidge MP is asking an urgent question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the violation of Poland’s airspace by Russian drones.

Watch live ⬇️
parliamentlive.tv/event/index/...

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Sep 10

A good day to follow @theguardian.com Europe Live for reliable information about Polish (and not only) reactions to the overnight violations of Polish airspace by Russian drones.
@jakubkrupa.bsky.social provides helpful translations from 🇵🇱 incl political context

www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

‘Huge number of Russian drones’ violated our airspace, says Poland’s PM – follow live

Tusk says that those which posed a threat were shot down as Zelenskyy says incursion sets ‘extremely dangerous precedent for Europe’

www.theguardian.com

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Sep 10

Poland said it scrambled its own & Nato air defences to shoot down drones over its territory after repeated violations of its airspace during a Russian attack on Ukraine

The first time in the war that Warsaw has engaged Russian assets in its airspace.

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/s...

Poland shoots down drones over its territory amid Russian attack on Ukraine, prime minister says

Donald Tusk says operation launched after ‘repeated violations of Polish airspace’

www.theguardian.com

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Sep 3

This is a very good piece on the growing tensions and competing foreign policy visions between the Polish President and Prime Minister.

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Sep 3

Polish president’s meeting with Trump prompts fresh tensions with Tusk

Nationalist Karol Nawrocki’s visit to White House exposes divisions with Poland’s government and foreign policy Poland’s conservative nationalist president is due to meet Donald Trump at the White House in a visit that has prompted fresh tensions with the nation’s pro-European government led by Donald Tusk. Backed by the populist rightwing opposition Law and Justice party, which ruled Poland between 2015 and 2023, Karol Nawrocki unexpectedly won Poland’s presidential election after running a campaign under a Trumpesque slogan of “Poland first, Poles first”. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Sep 1

An excellent discussion on recruitment and hiring

Loren DeJonge Schulman @lorenraeds.bsky.social · Aug 27

Why are some hiring experiences so ridiculously awful? and some amazing?

The latest @sirenspod.bsky.social collects incredible advice for hiring managers to both select the best candidates and do so in a way that doesn't generate nightmares (low bar!). podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b...

Hiring Managers, Human Capital, Human Beings

Podcast Episode · Sirens: A Bombshell production · 08/27/2025 · 29m

podcasts.apple.com

Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 30

There are times when your team will fail, regardless of what they do.

This was one of those games. Fuham was doomed to fail. I have never seen a more biased and one-sided refereeing.

Makes you question what the point of following this sport is at all

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 27

By the river #FFC

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 27

According to @wyborcza.pl, the Polish PM is due to appoint his first National Security Advisor.

Robert Kupiecki, currently one of the Deputy Ministers in the MFA, is a ‘securocrat’ with both Ambassadorial & MoD experience

wyborcza.pl/7,75399,3220...

Doświadczony dyplomata doradcą Tuska ds. bezpieczeństwa. To ruch wyprzedzający

To sposób na odsunięcie współpracowników Karola Nawrockiego od eksperckich rozmów dotyczących przerwania walk w Ukrainie.

wyborcza.pl

Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 19

Next year in Türkiye #NATO

John R. Deni @johnrdeni.bsky.social · Aug 19

NATO announces next summit in Türkiye, 7-8 Jul 2026. NATO persists in holding annual summits, unnecessarily. This is certainly not evidence- or conditions-based. www.nato.int/cps/en/natoh...

www.nato.int

Reposted by Jarek Wisniewski

House of Lords @houseoflords.parliament.uk · Aug 15

Today is the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.

On this day in the Lords in 1945, the State Opening of Parliament took place. It was the first for several years to happen in the Lords chamber itself. Between 1941 and 1944, State Openings took place in the Robing Room, pictured here.

Following the bombing of the Commons chamber in May 1941, the House of Lords lent its chamber to MPs while the Lords sat in the Robing Room.

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 16

Back to the weekly madness

#FollowFulhamAway

Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 16

An indication that Poland may soon have „a special cell” in the PM’s Chancellery responsible for coordination of defence & security policy

Note: The Polish machinery of government currently does not include a National Security Adviser post in the PM’s office

Source: @tygodnikpolityka.bsky.social

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Reposted by Jarek Wisniewski

Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · Aug 16

My thoughts on that Alaska summit from 15mins in here. In short, a clear win for Putin. With an ICC indictment for war crimes hanging over him, shunned by W nations for 3.5 years, he was greeted as a co-equal world leader by Trump without giving anything in return. 1/4 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Today - 16/08/2025 - BBC Sounds

Including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Jarek Wisniewski

James Ker-Lindsay @jameskerlindsay.bsky.social · Aug 13

#Germany has long been an economic power in Europe, but it is still finding its way as a foreign policy actor. It was therefore really great to talk to @constelz.bsky.social about how Berlin sees the world and its main priorities youtu.be/D2PVSqN1MPQ

Understanding German Foreign Policy | Constanze Stelzenmüller

YouTube video by Prof James Ker-Lindsay

youtu.be

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Reposted by Jarek Wisniewski

Peter Ricketts @lordrickettsp.bsky.social · Aug 7

I can help! The Home Sec has written to the Commons Home Affairs Cttee (and to me in the same terms). The HAC have published the text here👇You will see that the Home Sec has relied on Section 22(1) of CRAG allowing ratification in exceptional circs. 1/2 committees.parliament.uk/publications...

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 7

An excellent briefing on the new EU border systems (launch on 12 October) by @stefanofella.bsky.social

Second Reading @commonslibrary.bsky.social · Aug 7

The EU Entry/Exit system and EU travel authorisation system https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/the-eu-entry-exit-system-and-eu-travel-authorisation-system/

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 7

The European Affairs Committee published a letter from the Home Sec on the UK-France Treaty on the 'one in, one out' asylum/immigration scheme, including arrangements re: the parliamentary scrutiny process for the Treaty. The Treaty came into force on 6 Aug committees.parliament.uk/publications...

committees.parliament.uk

Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 6

A good overview by @jakubkrupa.bsky.social of what to expect from the new Polish President, Karol Nawrocki www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Nationalist Karol Nawrocki sworn in as Polish president

Combative speech in parliament sets Nawrocki on potential collision course with Donald Tusk’s pro-EU coalition

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Jarek Wisniewski

Euractiv @euractiv.com · Aug 6

SAFE: Where the EU27 stands on the Commission’s €150 billion defence loans

Latest from Euractiv

www.euractiv.com

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Jarek Wisniewski @jwisniewski.bsky.social · Aug 6

“We say goodbye without regret”

“We welcome without hope”

Cover of the latest issue of Polityka @tygodnikpolityka.bsky.social, a Polish centre-left weekly magazine, on today’s presidential transition in Poland.

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