Will our governments finally grasp that Trump (and any likely GOP successor) is no longer an ally in any real sense to Europe ?
We are still grossly underestimating the implications of that. And one possible future PM is an abject toady towards Trump.
Bild and Axios: Trump attacked Europe during today's call. The conversation was heated. Trump shifted responsibility for putting pressure on Putin to Europe. Europeans no longer expect Trump to impose sanctions against Russia.
Trump accused Europeans of buying Russian oil and financing its war machine. Ursula von der Leyen tried to object, saying that Europe had significantly reduced purchases after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Trump was reminded that only Hungary and Slovakia directly import Russian oil. Witkoff turned the tables and accused Europe of buying Russian oil from India.
When the conversation turned to sanctions, Europe attempted to agree on a joint approach with the American president. The Europeans immediately offered to send their representatives to Washington to set up a working group on sanctions within 48 hours. It is not known whether Trump agreed.
Trump told the Europeans that they should put pressure on China to give up Russian oil. Trump himself did not introduce secondary duties on China for purchasing oil from Russia, he only introduced them on India.
Trump emphasized that Europe should put more pressure on Russia.
Yes. it's all Trumos fault. Europe's just a harmless victim.
That's the Europe that ignored Putin in 2014, that kept de-scaling it's armed forces, made itself reliant on Russian energy,. The Europe that laughed at Trump and Biden when they said Russia was up to no good that disparaged reports that Russia was going to invade Ukraine and which pleaded helplessness when the tanks rolled over the border.
Good morning from France. This 12% extra GDP they spend shows. Roads being renewed. Plenty of low cost public transport. Investment in education from the numbers of pupils around. No sign of this country being on its knees.
France has serious budget problems, arguably worse than ours though not as extreme as those of the US. But at least the money they do spend makes the country look buff and gives their people several more years of life expectancy.
💸 Angela Rayner’s family home was valued at almost twice the amount of other recently sold properties on her street when she sold a stake to her disabled son’s trust so she could buy a holiday home
How quaint that Rayner should have had a ‘house’ on a ‘street’ rather thsn the detached villas, castles and estates that the sort of people you support live in.
We've done that several times already.
They were comparing her 4 bed detached with a 3 bed semi.
Not aimed at you, but that's exactly the kind of misinformation the Telegraph is trying to seed.
Good morning from France. This 12% extra GDP they spend shows. Roads being renewed. Plenty of low cost public transport. Investment in education from the numbers of pupils around. No sign of this country being on its knees.
France has serious budget problems, arguably worse than ours though not as extreme as those of the US. But at least the money they do spend makes the country look buff and gives their people several more years of life expectancy.
And that's the point.
Britain has been on a financial splurge for ages. (COVID added to the debt pile, but that doesn't explain the decades-long and ongoing deficit).
Looking around, it's really hard to see where all the borrowed money went. It can't all be house price inflation... Can it?
💸 Angela Rayner’s family home was valued at almost twice the amount of other recently sold properties on her street when she sold a stake to her disabled son’s trust so she could buy a holiday home
How quaint that Rayner should have had a ‘house’ on a ‘street’ rather thsn the detached villas, castles and estates that the sort of people you support live in.
We've done that several times already.
They were comparing her 4 bed detached with a 3 bed semi.
Not aimed at you, but that's exactly the kind of misinformation the Telegraph is trying to seed.
Catastrophic poll for Labour. I mean the SNP have been shocking and they have lost half their vote?
To keep out the SNP will Labour, Tories and Lib Dems all tactical vote for Reform? Or is the SNP the lesser evil?
Holyrood is PR so no need, on that poll there will be a Unionist majority in the Scottish Parliament next year anyway for the first time since 2011
Not according to an actual Scotch polling expert, SNP just 2 seats off an outright majority. He does caveat that the LD numbers are very likely an outlier.
Projecting More in Common ?? Aug/Sep into seats (changes vs 2021 on new boundaries):
SNP ~ 63 (nc) Lab ~ 17 (-4) Reform UK ~ 17 (+17) Lib Dem ~ 15 (+11) Con ~ 11 (-20) Green ~ 6 (-4)
Next years elections look very grim for the Tories.
I expect more rats to leave the sinking ship so that they keep their seats. All that is needed is to kiss Farages arse.
Especially as those more moderate staying-Tory voters that HY references above are mostly the very elderly, who are set in their ways in terms of voting habits, and not willing to shop around like increasingly most younger folk. But there are fewer and fewer of the former on the electoral roll every year; my mother is one such, who would never have voted anything other than Conservative, but she sadly no longer has the mental capacity to vote.
Catastrophic poll for Labour. I mean the SNP have been shocking and they have lost half their vote?
To keep out the SNP will Labour, Tories and Lib Dems all tactical vote for Reform? Or is the SNP the lesser evil?
Holyrood is PR so no need, on that poll there will be a Unionist majority in the Scottish Parliament next year anyway for the first time since 2011
Not according to an actual Scotch polling expert, SNP just 2 seats off an outright majority. He does caveat that the LD numbers are very likely an outlier.
Projecting More in Common ?? Aug/Sep into seats (changes vs 2021 on new boundaries):
SNP ~ 63 (nc) Lab ~ 17 (-4) Reform UK ~ 17 (+17) Lib Dem ~ 15 (+11) Con ~ 11 (-20) Green ~ 6 (-4)
Comments
That's the Europe that ignored Putin in 2014, that kept de-scaling it's armed forces, made itself reliant on Russian energy,. The Europe that laughed at Trump and Biden when they said Russia was up to no good that disparaged reports that Russia was going to invade Ukraine and which pleaded helplessness when the tanks rolled over the border.
They were comparing her 4 bed detached with a 3 bed semi.
Not aimed at you, but that's exactly the kind of misinformation the Telegraph is trying to seed.
Full article link: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/f3b3ff8e2af89687
NEW THREAD
Britain has been on a financial splurge for ages. (COVID added to the debt pile, but that doesn't explain the decades-long and ongoing deficit).
Looking around, it's really hard to see where all the borrowed money went. It can't all be house price inflation... Can it?