Simon Tilford
@simontilford.bsky.social
Director, Oracle Partnership. Trying to make sense of the future.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
English speaking newspapers don’t seem to have picked up on Trump administration threats of sanctions against judges in current appeals case involving Marine LePen’s indictment regarding European Parliament fund embezzling which could cost her the right to run for president next year.
Affaire des assistants parlementaires du FN : le président du tribunal de Paris met en garde contre une éventuelle « ingérence » américaine avant le procès en appel
Affaire des assistants parlementaires du FN : le président du tribunal de Paris met en garde contre une éventuelle « ingérence » américaine avant le procès en appel
A partir du 13 janvier et jusqu’à la mi-février, la cheffe de file de l’extrême droite, Marine Le Pen, et onze autres prévenus vont être jugés par la cour d’appel de Paris, soupçonnés d’avoir détourné l’argent du Parlement européen au seul profit du parti.
www.lemonde.fr
January 6, 2026 at 8:31 PM
English speaking newspapers don’t seem to have picked up on Trump administration threats of sanctions against judges in current appeals case involving Marine LePen’s indictment regarding European Parliament fund embezzling which could cost her the right to run for president next year.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter.
Featuring illustrations by Grok, because “pixels 🟰 zero harm” apparently. www.ft.com/content/ad94...
Featuring illustrations by Grok, because “pixels 🟰 zero harm” apparently. www.ft.com/content/ad94...
January 6, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter.
Featuring illustrations by Grok, because “pixels 🟰 zero harm” apparently. www.ft.com/content/ad94...
Featuring illustrations by Grok, because “pixels 🟰 zero harm” apparently. www.ft.com/content/ad94...
Reposted by Simon Tilford
My assessment of Starmer's latest EU gambit. His rhetoric on "alignment" may be getting bolder but the trade-offs remain the same.
The UK will not get much closer alignment with the single market unless it accepts free movement + budget contributions.
ukandeu.ac.uk/new-year-sam...
The UK will not get much closer alignment with the single market unless it accepts free movement + budget contributions.
ukandeu.ac.uk/new-year-sam...
New year, same old Brexit trade-offs - UK in a changing Europe
Joël Reland argues that while the UK has indicated that it is keen to align more closely with the EU, the inherent tradeoffs remain the same as the EU will not allow the UK to 'cherry pick' further ac...
ukandeu.ac.uk
January 6, 2026 at 10:51 AM
My assessment of Starmer's latest EU gambit. His rhetoric on "alignment" may be getting bolder but the trade-offs remain the same.
The UK will not get much closer alignment with the single market unless it accepts free movement + budget contributions.
ukandeu.ac.uk/new-year-sam...
The UK will not get much closer alignment with the single market unless it accepts free movement + budget contributions.
ukandeu.ac.uk/new-year-sam...
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Another example of the fact that there are very few technically difficult questions of economics; "difficult questions" are just difficult because you don't like the obvious answer
January 6, 2026 at 8:21 AM
Another example of the fact that there are very few technically difficult questions of economics; "difficult questions" are just difficult because you don't like the obvious answer
Reposted by Simon Tilford
One of most remarkable US presentations at UN Security Council I've ever seen.
- No reference to UN Charter legal justification
- Claims Panama as precedent (which the UN condemned)
- Energy reserves ⤵️ as justification is illegal
- Sharp contrast with US Ambassador Pickering presentation in 1989
- No reference to UN Charter legal justification
- Claims Panama as precedent (which the UN condemned)
- Energy reserves ⤵️ as justification is illegal
- Sharp contrast with US Ambassador Pickering presentation in 1989
January 5, 2026 at 4:52 PM
One of most remarkable US presentations at UN Security Council I've ever seen.
- No reference to UN Charter legal justification
- Claims Panama as precedent (which the UN condemned)
- Energy reserves ⤵️ as justification is illegal
- Sharp contrast with US Ambassador Pickering presentation in 1989
- No reference to UN Charter legal justification
- Claims Panama as precedent (which the UN condemned)
- Energy reserves ⤵️ as justification is illegal
- Sharp contrast with US Ambassador Pickering presentation in 1989
Reposted by Simon Tilford
I know RUK ignores NI, but surely there should be more public horror and indignation about the fact that not 6 months ago part of the UK saw a pogrom that drove an ethnic group (the Roma) out of a sizeable town
Ballymena riots six months on: fear, formidable obstacles and official silence
Ballymena riots six months on: fear, formidable obstacles and official silence
After attacks on immigrants’ homes, groups patrol the streets to intimidate potential victims, who try to keep a low profile
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 4:51 PM
I know RUK ignores NI, but surely there should be more public horror and indignation about the fact that not 6 months ago part of the UK saw a pogrom that drove an ethnic group (the Roma) out of a sizeable town
Reposted by Simon Tilford
I was wondering how this might all turn out to have been my fault
January 4, 2026 at 1:59 AM
I was wondering how this might all turn out to have been my fault
Reposted by Simon Tilford
I think European leaders in failing to condemn the US invasion of Venezuela out of some fear of provoking Trump’s ire are missing the point that (a) Trump clearly doesn’t care what they think anyway, (b) Trump couldn’t hold them in more contempt anyway. /1
January 4, 2026 at 8:18 AM
I think European leaders in failing to condemn the US invasion of Venezuela out of some fear of provoking Trump’s ire are missing the point that (a) Trump clearly doesn’t care what they think anyway, (b) Trump couldn’t hold them in more contempt anyway. /1
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Proper analysis needs to start pointing this out. Our current politics is simply not sustainable.
At some point the 'realignment' in British politics is going to come under severe pressure on the issue of national security and global conflict. It is not possible to be patriotic/nationalist and also pro-Trump/pro-Putin.
January 3, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Proper analysis needs to start pointing this out. Our current politics is simply not sustainable.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
This does seem just a little bit bad! Idk the sort of thing you’d think politicians might distance themselves from or something!
January 2, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Reposted by Simon Tilford
This Times “speculation” had better be wrong—It would actively cause harm to children—there isn’t the expertise or infrastructure needed for this cruel plan. If it’s accurate, we will campaign against it vigorously. Which parent or school would back it? archive.is/KFcWB
January 1, 2026 at 3:31 PM
This Times “speculation” had better be wrong—It would actively cause harm to children—there isn’t the expertise or infrastructure needed for this cruel plan. If it’s accurate, we will campaign against it vigorously. Which parent or school would back it? archive.is/KFcWB
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Sounds like borderline-abusive French parenting standards extends also to raising dogs.
as I've said before, both as an immigrant and someone who's lived in a bunch of places - British dogs are, ime, noticeably badly behaved, and I would love to know why that is! (my bitchy French theory is that tons of Brits are so conflict avoidant that they can't even train their own pets lol)
I don't dislike dogs to be clear. But I really really dislike how many dog owners allow their dogs to foul the streets and to yap at people and scare kids and still expect everyone to think their precious little pooch is such a good dog 14/10 whatever
January 1, 2026 at 5:52 PM
Sounds like borderline-abusive French parenting standards extends also to raising dogs.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
This is both entirely correct and misses the point completely, which is that the 'online weirdos" are effectively writing Conservative and Reform policy & have significantly influenced the government's own worst and most xenophobic policies.
Trump should have taught us not to laugh this stuff off.
Trump should have taught us not to laugh this stuff off.
Real talk: there's this circle of extremely online weirdos who firmly believe they're on the verge of victory and are going to expel millions of people from Britain.
Play acting Napoleons planning their March through Moscow from a Daventry bedsit
Play acting Napoleons planning their March through Moscow from a Daventry bedsit
Yeah it's probably because you're talking about 'English-Jewish relations' and threatening to deport us all if we don't fall in line with your ramblings
January 1, 2026 at 11:29 AM
This is both entirely correct and misses the point completely, which is that the 'online weirdos" are effectively writing Conservative and Reform policy & have significantly influenced the government's own worst and most xenophobic policies.
Trump should have taught us not to laugh this stuff off.
Trump should have taught us not to laugh this stuff off.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
A neat example of why prominent Jewish voices boosting far right narratives are being unbelievably stupid. Have they never read a history book?
Yeah it's probably because you're talking about 'English-Jewish relations' and threatening to deport us all if we don't fall in line with your ramblings
January 1, 2026 at 11:18 AM
A neat example of why prominent Jewish voices boosting far right narratives are being unbelievably stupid. Have they never read a history book?
Reposted by Simon Tilford
the thing is, “differing political views” used to be about what percentage to tax high earners and not whether brown people are humans
Everyone has a list of so-called "red flags" when they're dating. And for some, especially younger Americans, different political views is a relationship deal breaker.
Majority of Gen Z swipe left on dating people with opposite political views
Everyone has a list of so-called "red flags" when they're dating. And for some, especially younger Americans, different political views is a relationship deal breaker.
n.pr
December 31, 2025 at 4:33 PM
the thing is, “differing political views” used to be about what percentage to tax high earners and not whether brown people are humans
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Reposted by Simon Tilford
I've become pretty jaded over the past decade but this for me is up there with the worst things he's ever said, the bit about Putin's generosity in particular has a certain 'arbeit macht frei' quality about it
Trump: "Russia wants to see Ukraine succeed. It sounds a little strange but President Putin was very generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding, including supplying energy, electricity and other things at very low prices."
December 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
I've become pretty jaded over the past decade but this for me is up there with the worst things he's ever said, the bit about Putin's generosity in particular has a certain 'arbeit macht frei' quality about it
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Kind of just feels like the US admin isn’t even trying to understand the conflict anymore, just determined to be friendly to the dictator Trump admires and hostile to the one he assumes the liberals like.
Zelensky lands in Miami. Not a single US official is on hand to greet him. In the language of diplomacy this send an unequivocal message of coldness and hostility. Compare it with the lavish pomp and red carpet shown to Putin when he landed in Alaska a few weeks ago.
December 28, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Kind of just feels like the US admin isn’t even trying to understand the conflict anymore, just determined to be friendly to the dictator Trump admires and hostile to the one he assumes the liberals like.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
No one has ever been able to adequately explain what Putin is meant to have thought NATO expansion would threaten him with, apart from limiting his expansionist ambitions.
"He was worried they'd invade Russia."
No he wasn't.
He just wasn't.
That's not a thing anyone thought might happen.
"He was worried they'd invade Russia."
No he wasn't.
He just wasn't.
That's not a thing anyone thought might happen.
this is the simple answer to people who keep saying NATO expansion matters. Sure, it matters because it presented an obstacle to Russian imperial ambitions. Putin didn't invade because he hated NATO expansion, he hated NATO expansion because he wanted to invade
December 28, 2025 at 9:51 AM
No one has ever been able to adequately explain what Putin is meant to have thought NATO expansion would threaten him with, apart from limiting his expansionist ambitions.
"He was worried they'd invade Russia."
No he wasn't.
He just wasn't.
That's not a thing anyone thought might happen.
"He was worried they'd invade Russia."
No he wasn't.
He just wasn't.
That's not a thing anyone thought might happen.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
The upper class in Britain sees itself as almost class-less. The benevolent, neutral custodians of the nation
Everyone else has politics. They are above such petty notions
Everyone else has politics. They are above such petty notions
Relative independence 😂 yes because the hereditary peers have a real cross section of party affiliation and have no *quite literal* landed interest whatsoever.
Risible stuff.
Risible stuff.
December 28, 2025 at 10:35 AM
The upper class in Britain sees itself as almost class-less. The benevolent, neutral custodians of the nation
Everyone else has politics. They are above such petty notions
Everyone else has politics. They are above such petty notions
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Relative independence 😂 yes because the hereditary peers have a real cross section of party affiliation and have no *quite literal* landed interest whatsoever.
Risible stuff.
Risible stuff.
December 28, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Relative independence 😂 yes because the hereditary peers have a real cross section of party affiliation and have no *quite literal* landed interest whatsoever.
Risible stuff.
Risible stuff.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Stuff like this winds me up. The absurd noblesse oblige. “Social leadership is important”- noone asked you for it. Noone wants it. You think you should have it because you have land. Well good for you. But it’s not the 18th century. Just shuffle off into the night.
December 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Stuff like this winds me up. The absurd noblesse oblige. “Social leadership is important”- noone asked you for it. Noone wants it. You think you should have it because you have land. Well good for you. But it’s not the 18th century. Just shuffle off into the night.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
I spoke too soon. We will lose an ongoing anachronistic national embarrassment that we have people who sit by birthright in our legislature. Let them get real jobs, by their own merit.
December 28, 2025 at 9:51 AM
I spoke too soon. We will lose an ongoing anachronistic national embarrassment that we have people who sit by birthright in our legislature. Let them get real jobs, by their own merit.
Reposted by Simon Tilford
It’s striking how common this sort of moralizing is in news stories about government debt. Is there any other context where a sober business reporter would explain financial market developments in terms of rewards for the deserving and punishment for the unworthy? giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
December 27, 2025 at 5:41 PM
It’s striking how common this sort of moralizing is in news stories about government debt. Is there any other context where a sober business reporter would explain financial market developments in terms of rewards for the deserving and punishment for the unworthy? giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Reposted by Simon Tilford
Maybe this, not the data centres, is the infrastructure payoff from the AI bubble.
December 27, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Maybe this, not the data centres, is the infrastructure payoff from the AI bubble.