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Reposted by Nick Cohen

Peter Frankopan @peterfrankopan.bsky.social · 58m

Belarus rarely makes Western headlines — but it should this week.
A quiet move by the Trump administration has just handed Alexander Lukashenka, and indirectly Vladimir Putin, an unexpected gift.
🧵👇

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Nick Cohen @nickcohen.bsky.social · 13h

Who would be good to interview on the right's conspiracy theory that the judiciary, civil service... the whole state has been taken over by woke progressives.

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 1d

Four parties within a 5 point swing of first place and five parties on 12% plus.

This would be pure chaos under first past the post.

Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 1d

Westminster Voting Intention:

RFM: 27% (-2)
LAB: 20% (-2)
CON: 17% (+1)
LDM: 17% (+2)
GRN: 12% (+1)
SNP: 4% (+1)

Via @yougov.co.uk, 5-6 Oct.
Changes w/ 28-29 Sep.

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Melanie D’Arrigo @darrigomelanie.bsky.social · 21h

I feel like this photo of masked, armed men pepper spraying a pastor protecting his community is going to be a defining picture of this moment in America for a long, long time.

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 1d

The UAE is an authoritarian autocracy, a petro-state with no income tax for citizens, to bribe them for the lack of democratic voice or free speech

It is 85% migrant, a segregated society with a ban on integration in principle and practice, few rights, equal opportunities, nor voice for incomers

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Ben Stanley @benstanley.eu · 1d

This stuff is such a free hit. They hate Britain. They hate it so much they’d rather live somewhere that orders the murder of journalists with bonesaws. That bears repeating every single day well beyond the moment that it starts to have an effect.

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 1d

Party donor Nick Candy says "I cherish the values we grew up with here in the West. But today you are more likely to find the values we grew up with in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.’

Via Sam Leith in the Spectator
www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-...

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John Self @john-self.bsky.social · 1d

“At least at the Conservative conference, he was unlikely to be confronted with a sea of non-white faces. Or indeed, given the attendance levels, any faces at all.”

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 1d

It's quite wrong to suggest Robert Jenrick is a racist. Racists believe in something. My SKETCH.

Rob whistle | Robert Hutton | The Critic Magazine

The day had begun with Robert Jenrick accused of racism. This is of course quite unfair. Racists believe in something. Some of us remember Jenrick as a chubby-cheeked fan of David Cameron fighting the…

thecritic.co.uk

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John Self @john-self.bsky.social · 7d

Me on Gore Vidal's centenary👇

John Self @john-self.bsky.social · 7d

'Vidal saw Christopher Isherwood remind a young Jewish film producer that the Nazis persecuted gay people too. “After all, Hitler killed 600,000 homosexuals.” The young man was not impressed. “But Hitler killed six *million* Jews,” he said sternly. “What are you?” Isherwood asked. “In real estate?”'

Gore Vidal at 100 — the master of the waspish put-down

The American novelist and critic was born a century ago this month. John Self celebrates the best of his provocative, witty writing

www.thetimes.com

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 1d

Jenrick being the loudest member of the Conservative party has already been a huge contributor to the poisoning of our politics. We really don't need any four-dimensional chess about him becoming leader. When it happens, it will be a terrible day for our country.

Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 1d

A Tory party under Jenrick might take a few of the racist votes from Reform, but they’d haemorrhage bucketloads to the Lib Dems.

So, on balance…

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Nick Cohen @nickcohen.bsky.social · 1d

Anti-fascism ain’t for the faint-hearted
Piece from me on how the experience of the conservative “Never Trump” movement in the US shows how hard it is to beat the fascistic wannabees of our age

open.substack.com/pub/nickcohe...

Anti-fascism ain’t for the faint hearted

As the fracturing of the Never Trump movement shows

open.substack.com

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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 1d

If you can't see how this will end, then you're not paying attention (not least to what's going on on the other side of the Atlantic).

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

The Economist tends to be very well-briefed when it comes to matters of British security. This is the second article I have seen in as many days warning about Russia‘s hybrid warfare against the West.
I would take this seriously.

The Economist @economist.com · 2d

The escalating grey-zone conflict between the West and Russia is being contested on the sea as well as in the air. A rise in worrying maritime incidents is forcing NATO to step up econ.st/3ILHiM8

Photo: Reuters

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George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 2d

This isn’t a picture of Mel Stride and the shadow chancellor being misidentified on ConHome feels quite indicative of where the Tories are at.

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 2d

Not sure I would have gone with headline - unless I actually wanted people to laugh out loud....

Mel Stride: Conservatives are the only people who tell the truth, and have a plan for growth that means something | Conservative Home

It falls to us, the Conservatives, to win back the country’s trust and reverse the economic vandalism of this Labour government. We can and we will.

conservativehome.com

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Nick Cohen @nickcohen.bsky.social · 2d

“Liberals must get out of their progressive bubble and fight!”
Powerful interview with Charlie Sykes one of the leaders of the “never Trump” movement, on the disastrous failure to stop Trump’s return to the White House
open.substack.com/pub/nickcohe...

A warning from Trump's America

Charlie Sykes on breaking out of progressive bubbles

open.substack.com

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Nick Cohen @nickcohen.bsky.social · 2d

“Liberals must get out of their progressive bubble and fight!”
Powerful interview with Charlie Sykes one of the leaders of the “never Trump” movement, on the disastrous failure to stop Trump’s return to the White House
open.substack.com/pub/nickcohe...

A warning from Trump's America

Charlie Sykes on breaking out of progressive bubbles

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Nick Cohen

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 7d

Why is Starmer becoming more confident criticising Brexit? Because quietly, without any great drama, a consensus has been reached. It's a disaster inews.co.uk/opinion/brex...

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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 2d

Not often I agree with the IEA but....

"The elephant in the room is age related spending, which is going to become a huge fiscal problem as time goes by. Ultimately, no political party is going to be able to balance the books only by cutting things their supporters don’t like.”

Tories tout £47bn in spending cuts in bid to reclaim fiscal reputation

Shadow chancellor says he will target welfare spending, overseas aid budget and civil service staffing to find savings

www.ft.com

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 3d

What do people think are the simplest proofs of Tommy Robinson being extreme, racist or being associated with antisemitism if (as happens from time to time) you had somebody asking [in reasonably good faith] what the specific evidence was?

I will share the examples that I have used in the past.

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Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 3d

Political reporters continue to cover the centre-left according to the old standards of honesty and legality while shrugging at the right: "Ah well, you know what these guys are like. What can you do?"

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Dr Emma L Briant 🇬🇧 in 🇺🇸 @emmalbriant.bsky.social · 3d

If inviting Tommy Robinson doesn't make the British government start to seriously question support for Israel nothing will.

Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 3d

NEW: Shabana Mahmood tells me that she won’t tell Israeli government not to invite Tommy Robinson to Israel but describes him as “corrosive” and not representative of the UK.

More on Sunday with Lewis Goodall @lbc.co.uk after 10.

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Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 3d

This is to me the most baffling aspect. Who would place a bet that the next three years won't feature some terrible horror in the US from the outfit that Badenoch and Jenrick specifically say they want to copy? bsky.app/profile/smka...

smkali.bsky.social @smkali.bsky.social · 3d

The ICE raids aren’t popular even in America. Why do they think people want it here?

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 3d

I don’t think death of the Tories is inevitable but boy it sure does feel like the current leadership and its media cheerleaders are doing their best to make it more likely.

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Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 4d

It is now clear: there will be a ceasefire agreement this week.
Most, if not all, hostages would be exchanged for 250 Palestinian prisoners and over 1000 detainees.
The Israeli military will withdraw from about half of the Gaza Strip (it currently directly occupies over 80%)

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Initial Israeli withdrawal according to Donald Trump

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Bill Kristol @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social · 3d

“And this idea that our military has failed (um, when?) because we couldn’t be badass enough is entirely fictional. Ask the Russians how that whole ‘We don’t give a fuck, kill with impunity’ thing is going for them right now.”

open.substack.com/pub/clairebe...

The Wisdom of SecDef Douchenozzle

The military reviews Pete Hegseth's Quantico speech

open.substack.com

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Ben Stanley @benstanley.eu · 4d

Rum things, chainsaws.

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