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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 2d

And the person he nominated to replace him in the Defence portfolio was a key bone of contention - Bruno le Maire, finance minister 2017-24, whose nomination was bitterly opposed by the right-wing Republicans and contributed to the downfall of the government almost as soon as it had been nominated

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 2d

You have to feel a bit sorry for all those nominated to the French government last night who went to bed excited to start their new jobs, only to wake up the next morning to find their posts revoked. A week is a long time in politics but they didn't even get one day

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 2d

But another 18 months of political turmoil, coming on the back of years of crisis, will take a heavy toil on the beleaguered French economy, which is already struggling with high debt. Investors don't like uncertainty and France is a risky bet right now. 😕

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 2d

The only other options are for Macron to resign, which he has refused to do, or else lurch from one crisis to the next till presidential election in 18 months' time. Most parties refusing to compromise now because they are already strategising for that election.

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 2d

An alternative option is to call another general election - but that is unlikely to resolve the crisis & the far-right would likely make further gains. The crisis caused by a hung parliament in 2022 was only exacerbated by the snap election in 2024; risk that things could again go from bad to worse

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 2d

Macron keeps appointing PMs from the centre/right, with no success. If he tries again he'll likely fail again. Appointing from the left is risky tho as the right won't work with the moderate left, no-one will work with the hard left & the moderate left don't have the numbers without the others

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 2d

The level of instability in French politics is unprecedented & even worse than the UK post-Brexit (Lecornu's 26 days in office is barely half what the ill-fated Liz Truss could muster). A hung parliament split between multiple groups who refuse to work together is a recipe for disaster

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 2d

Last night, France's new prime minister, Sebatien Lecornu, announced his new govt, with a line-up v similar to the preceding govts. Other parties protested. This morning Lecornu resigned. He'd only been in office a few weeks, France's 5th PM in <2 yrs. No side has a majority & no-one will compromise

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Reposted by Rainbow Murray

Karl Pike @karlpike.bsky.social · 12d

My contribution to this issue calls for Labour to counter the growing illiberalism in British politics.

Fabian Society @thefabians.bsky.social · 12d

The autumn edition of Fabian Review is on its way to members! 🍂

 This issue features articles by @stellacreasy.bsky.social reasy.bsky.social, @annadixonmp.bsky.social,
@elliereeves.bsky.social s.bsky.social, @karlpike.bsky.social e.bsky.social.

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Reposted by Rainbow Murray

Tarik Abou-Chadi @tabouchadi.bsky.social · 12d

For the Guardian, @turnbulldugarte.com and I discuss our research that clearly shows one thing: Labour's anti-immigration strategy will only strengthen Reform and weaken its own electoral prospects. It won't win voters back but ultimately normalizes the far right

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Our research makes it clear: by capitulating to the right, Labour is driving voters to Reform UK | Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

Mimicking Farage on immigration is senseless. Labour voters feel betrayed; anti-immigration voters see through the ruse, say academics Tarik Abou-Chadi and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte

www.theguardian.com

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 13d

It would be helpful if you could complement that post about people's (erroneous) beliefs about illegal immigration with another stating the actual correct percentage, both to avoid further fuelling misperceptions and to demonstrate the gulf between beliefs and reality

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Reposted by Rainbow Murray

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 13d

Keir Starmer writes in the Telegraph (where else!?) that Labour “did shy away from people’s concerns around illegal immigration.” Perhaps I was living in a parallel universe when I wrote this for @politicalquarterly.bsky.social in 2014? (Free to read version here: qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/bitstr...)

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Reposted by Rainbow Murray

Paula Surridge @psurridge.bsky.social · 13d

I just do not understand in what world a Labour advisor is suggesting it would be a good idea to write in the Telegraph. Even if you buy that they need the 'hero' voters and to win them from Reform they are not the type of Reform voter reading the Telegraph.

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Reposted by Rainbow Murray

Andrew Mueller @andrewmueller.bsky.social · 14d

Latest Daily on Monocle Radio. @rainbowmurray.bsky.social and @elisabethbraw.bsky.social on the day's big stories, a report from a cheese festival in Italy, and an excerpt from Monocle's recent interview with Kongjian Yu, who died yesterday, aged 62. monocle.com/radio/shows/...

Germany leads the way for Europe’s rearmament. Plus: The legacy of Chinese architect Kongjian Yu - Monocle

Europe plans to rearm by 2030 – but is it soon enough? Then: the rise of medical disinformation as Washington...

monocle.com

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 18d

Me when I get a string of notifications about all the great work that my peers have just published 👍👏😃🎉😔

a woman is sitting on a couch and saying i 'm so happy and not at all jealous ..

ALT: a woman is sitting on a couch and saying i 'm so happy and not at all jealous ..

media.tenor.com

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 21d

If you are able to scrape this data for me with a fast turnaround, or know someone who can, please send me a direct message or email me on my QMUL email address. Thank you! 2/2

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 21d

I'm looking for someone UK-based with web-scraping skills who can scrape a substantial amount of data for me from the French parliamentary website in exchange for a fixed (negotiable) one-off fee. French language skills are not essential as full instructions will be provided. 1/2

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 22d

I've never been more grateful not to be the monarch. Poor dude really taking one for the team for the next 48 hours #StateVisit

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 22d

I'll imagine you doing something like this when presenting the slides 😆

a woman wearing a face mask stands in front of a large screen that says lula on it

ALT: a woman wearing a face mask stands in front of a large screen that says lula on it

media.tenor.com

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 22d

"I'm not a racist. I just hate foreigners, ethnic minorities, people of other faiths and anyone who doesn't look like me. That doesn't make me a racist, it makes me a patriot!" 🙄

Martin Warne @martinwarne.net · 23d

This, from The Londoner yesterday, also features people on the march who claim not to be racists. Though the things they say prove otherwise

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 22d

You shouldn't have said that Chris. Now, any version that lacks interpretative dance will inevitably feel inferior to the EPOP version

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 23d

My child - who was born after CDs became effectively obsolete - wants me to buy this: storeuk.taylorswift.com/products/the... I struggled to understand why someone who has never seen a CD player would want a CD. "To support the artist & get the poster and things." Technology changes, fandom doesn't

The Life of a Showgirl: It's Rapturous Edition CD with Poster

While Supplies Last 12 Tracks Jewel case with collectible front and back cover art. 1 double-sided folded poster, unique to this edition (approximately 19” x 9.5”). Each side features a photo of Taylo...

storeuk.taylorswift.com

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 29d

Perhaps Lecornu will find a way to succeed where all else have failed. Perhaps. If he does, hats off to him. In the more likely scenario that he too fails, France may continue to go around in circles at least until the next presidential election. /end

Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 29d

Lecornu will be sworn in as France's new PM on Wed 10 September - the same day that nationwide protests aiming to "block everything" will take place. A baptism of fire! Fitting given that the job of governing a country increasingly seen as ungovernable is almost certainly a poisoned chalice 4/n

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Rainbow Murray @rainbowmurray.bsky.social · 29d

Lecornu will really have his work cut out if he is to have any hope of building enough of a political consensus to keep his government afloat long enough to get a budget passed, never mind survive until the next presidential election (scheduled for spring 2027) 3/n

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