Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mark English

@markemuk.bsky.social

3K followers 1.3K following 620 posts

British/European. Policy advisor to European Movement UK. 25 years an EU official and spokesperson. Up the Palace. Allez l'Union. Personal views.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · Jul 17

We at @europeanmovement.co.uk are campaigning for UK to work with our neighbours for net zero, clean growth and jobs and lower energy bills. Meanwhile, the unpatriotic gross zeros of Reform, aka Repel, have written to investors urging them not to finance clean energy and create green jobs in UK.

European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · Jul 16

Today, we launch a major new report - and a national campaign.

Read the report: www.europeanmovement.co.uk/one_earth_on...

Sign the petition: www.europeanmovement.co.uk/uk-eu-enviro...

We only have one earth. To protect and restore it, we need to be one team.

A New Agenda for UK–EU Energy, Climate, and Environment Cooperation

The Environment Partnership Report 2025 sets out how UK–EU cooperation can cut energy bills, protect health, and tackle the climate crisis.

www.europeanmovement.co.uk

2 32 58

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 14h

But it was dominated by the Tories, not an equal-ish partnership like next election might require - and it demolished the Lib Dems for a while. Partly because voters were not used to how coalitions work?

2 1

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 14h

Hesektine calls for close relations with EU, backs ECHR and climate action...and says 'Trump mouthpiece' Farage must be kept out of No 10
www.europeanmovement.co.uk/tide_turning...

'The tide is turning on Europe' - Heseltine makes landmark speech

Lord Heseltine spoke to a full house at European Movement UK’s event at Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Here is his speech in full.

www.europeanmovement.co.uk

9 15

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 15h

No immigration=no NHS. Simples.

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 15h

Wouldn't be great even if UK changed to PR (without a tradition of coalitions, which would take decades to build)?

1 2

Reposted by Mark English

European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · 1d

Lord Heseltine at UK and Europe: a Shared Future - reminding us that Britain’s strength lies in partnership, not isolation.

Cooperation, shared laws, and common purpose built post-war Europe. They can build our future too.

1 20 54

Reposted by Mark English

European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · 1d

At our event at Conservative conference - UK and Europe: a Shared Future, Lord Heseltine said what many now know: Brexit was a mistake. Britain’s future is with our European neighbours, not apart from them.

2 14 44

Reposted by Mark English

European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · 1d

The tide is turning. Just 13 per cent of young people think Brexit was right - and fewer than one in five under 50 agree. A clear majority of Britons now believe leaving the EU was a mistake.

Attacks on migrants will not return Tories to power, Lord Heseltine warns Badenoch

Lord Heseltine warning comes as Robert Jenrick is caught up in a racism row

www.independent.co.uk

6 43 130

Reposted by Mark English

Adam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 1d

Heseltine at the Tory conf:

"Fascists of the 30s are back... Trump's language coincides with words here... The immigrant has replaced the Jew as the problem. We must make clear we will never have any part in the populist extremism of Farage... We don't need Trump's mouthpiece anywhere near No. 10.”

21 210 580

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 1d

The Empress's old clothes? Where once Thatcher stood (metaphorically) tall - however much you/we hated her - now stands only fabric and air.

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 1d

Dominic Grieve sets out the huge cost of leaving the ECHR - for Northern Ireland, for trade with the EU and for the UK's reputation.
www.europeanmovement.co.uk/leaving_echr...

Leaving ECHR breaches Good Friday Agreement, says Grieve

Leaving the Convention "plainly in breach of the Good Friday agreement" says former Attorney General.

www.europeanmovement.co.uk

1 30 63

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 2d

Brexit tackled.....

European Movement UK @europeanmovement.co.uk · 2d

Gary Neville is right that Britain once took pride in its mix of people, united by purpose not hate, but Brexit and those who profit from division have broken that spirit, and rebuilding it must begin with decency, solidarity and the will to stand together again.

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 2d

A bit odd that the same people who argue (not unreasonably, though not so simple for in-work benefits) that you should not get benefits without paying into the system...now seem to argue that - if you do not have a UK passport - you should not get benefits even if you *have* paid in for many years

1 12

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 2d

Tories looking back nostalgically to the days of rule by the Union Jack Junta led by ruthless dictator General Tim Brooke Taylor

1 1 5

Reposted by Mark English

Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 2d

The Tories will not return to government until they wear Union flag trousers to match the jacket. At the moment it's like they don't even love our country.

Peter Walker @peterwalker99.bsky.social · 2d

In place of a speech by Victoria Atkins, the shadow Defra secretary, she is holding a “rally for the countryside” in the main exhibition hall. Her Union Jack jacket is back from the dry cleaners again.

10 13 130

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 2d

And the Germans? Dutch?

Reposted by Mark English

Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 2d

If politics are going crazy in several European countries one after the other, I think it is time to go past blaming the failures of individual political actors (and there are quite a few, both in the UK and France) to looking at the systemic pressures our political systems are failing to deal with.

Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 2d

If you are overly focused on the admittedly increasingly batsh*t character of British politics, don‘t neglect the batsh*t character of French politics.

Emma Jacobs @emmavj.bsky.social · 2d

Ah, the famous French work-life balance

on.ft.com/4mTFYVb French prime minister resigns less than a month after appointment

23 100 390

Reposted by Mark English

Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 2d

Gary Neville, "Brexit has had a devastating impact on this country"

"The messaging is getting dangerous"

"All these idiots out there spreading hate speech in any form, abuse in any form, we must stop promoting them"

"And get back to a country of love, peace and harmony"

"And become a team again"

45 490 1.7K

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 2d

Leaving ECHR is in complete contradiction with shadow Chancellor Mel Stride's focus on "wealth creation". Not only a distraction but a hit to European confidence in the UK, to economic deals with the EU and to investment.

5 10

Reposted by Mark English

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 3d

Ever occurred to the Tory 'leadership' that anti-migration dogma, ICE style clampdowns and tarnishing the UK's reputation by leaving the ECHR might not be good for a 'Stronger Economy'? #CPC25

3 1 8

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 3d

"We must make clear that we will never have any part in the populist extremism of Nigel Farage.

We have to deal with president Trump for the next three years. We don’t need his mouthpiece anywhere near No 10."

Let's hope some Tories still listen to Lord Heseltine...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

The Conservatives must never have any part in Farage’s po...

To describe asylum seekers as thieves or rapists encourages the worst sort of prejudice. We don’t need Trump’s mouthpiece anywhere near No 10

observer.co.uk

1 4 13

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 3d

How economically and historically illiterate and politically reckless did these people have to be to say these things in the first place? Milei is mad professor, not a credible leader.

The Bear @bearlypolitics.co.uk · 3d

As Argentina’s economy starts to rapidly unravel, let’s never forget the comments by our own politicians.

Ta.

"It's Thatcherism on steroids - this is incredible, cutting and slashing public expenditure, doing all the things he's done….. That's leadership... He is amazing."
Nigel Farage
"[Milei] is the 'chainsaw-wielding, bushy-sideburned wild man of Hayekian free-market thinking'. He hailed Milei for giving Argentina 'the economic medicine it needs' through drastic spending cuts."
Boris Johnson
"Britain needs shock therapy. A Milei-style approach would mean radical surgery. First: stop the bleeding. Slash wasteful public spending. Shut down unproductive agencies and quangos... We need to aim for a primary
[surplus."
Jacob Rees-Mogg
"Milei is the template."
Kemi Badenoch
"Javier Milei rightly tells the elite [at the] awful WEF the facts of life - socialism and state intervention tends to make people poorer."
Richard Tice

2 3

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 3d

I voted against but always respected the Conservative Party - even under Johnson some sensible people survived and Sunak was not all bad. But I have no respect for the party today. Nor until it makes the turn back towards the centre it needs to survive.

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 3d

Tory leadership say they want a stronger economy. Yet their migration and asylum 'policy' - as well as being repulsive - would knacker the economy in weeks. It breaks the crucial trade agreement with the EU, for a start.

2 10

Reposted by Mark English

Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 3d

The Conservative Party has now completely lost the plot

Surely there’s a space for a centre right party opening up in Britain?

Gabriel Milland @gabrielmilland.bsky.social · 4d

Batshit.

25 15 110

Mark English @markemuk.bsky.social · 3d

At what point does this Tory leadership tilt towards far right become too much even for the party's Brexity but generally not unkind base - members, local government people, etc?

2 1 5