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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 15h

I don't get the snark. Labour MPs are 10 million miles better than any Tory MP since Johnson threw out the sane ones, and most MPs who talk geopolitics are with a few honourable exceptions (Mike Martin, Julian Lewis) clueless. As for "friends of country X junkets" give me a break.

Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 19h

Nobody denies the rise of the super rich and few deny they should be taxed. The problem, that populists never address is how. If it was easy Reeves would have done it. We can keep them out of our country, we can stop them investing or owning property here. But what we cannot do is raise revenue.

Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 20h

The appointment of Mahmood and the elevation of Blue Labour is a disaster because fundamentally their policies do not and cannot work. You are governing with populist rubbish that breaks policy 3.5 years out from an election where you are judged on the success of policy. Idiots.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 21h

I am surprised this has not got more traction. In the old world the West would probably have announced coordinated sanctions in retaliation, but Trump has lost all his allies. I am not sure it is massively different from the American behaviour that triggered Imperial Japan to attack it.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 21h

It is however populist nonsense, the left wing mirror of Farage. How exactly do you tax the rich? I have yet to see a credible approach, if it could be done it would be. You might note that just this week the founder of a UK business moved to Dubai and became resident there to avoid CGT.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

Agree with all of that, although I suspect AI will degrade with time as the knowledge base gets corrupted by AI.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

I assume the current government process wouldn't be to hand the problem and unlimited cash to a friend with a record of failure and no expertise.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

The best approach to this is just make it optional and free. Then watch most of the people complaining now sign up instantly to save themselves minor hassle the next time they need a government service or to purchase something on credit, or prove age.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

I think he has a point. Germany should stop hiding under his skirts.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

Yes and no. To take on Musk you have to regulate X properly. When you do that the US government will lash out. Actually quite tricky.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

I increasingly see him as cosplaying Mussolini. Just his mannerisms.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

Taurus to Ukraine while falling out with France over who gets to build which bits of a future strike aircraft. We are probably at best two years from a shooting war with Russia. This should all be about getting any sort of credible capability sans America from anywhere. Including Korea and Canada.

Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

The issue here being the EU has confused creating a meaningful defence with more normal EU stuff like trade. The result of this is catastrophic. Just look at the absolute shambles of SAMP/T, the fact Italy is spending money for defence on a bridge to Sicily and the fact Germany still hasn't provided

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

Well yes of course, as I said we are where we are, and the details are what is being discussed. But the idea that the UK is freeloading, unlike a good chunk of the EU shouldn't be accepted.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

It isn't humiliating for Starmer. Trump is, sadly, US president. Which means you have to do stuff like stand on a stage with him. You just have to look happy and try to ignore what is actually being said.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

Except we aren't are getting anything for free are we. We are spending a fortune on defence, unlike a good chunk of the EU and they are relying on the UK for half of their nuclear deterrent (cos let's face it if Berlin gets nukes Trump is going to laugh). It is what it is, thanks Farage.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 1d

What was Warwickshire's glorious leader doing out on the streets of Nuneaton at 2am? He can't run the council so it won't have been work.

Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 2d

The Dunning-Kruger case study of international diplomacy and conflict resolution.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 2d

I mean Trump's negotiator did personally thank the UK for their help in getting some of this done, but you do you. Not sure what Powell did but it clearly wasn't nothing.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 2d

I am sure Netanyahu would like to do that. But Trump is completely immune to all of the pressures that stop America pulling the plug on Israel. So if he tries to restart fighting he may find he has no weapons and no money and all his GPS gets turned off.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 2d

Fair point, they are indeed very wrong.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 2d

That is a bit of a strawman. I think the majority opinion in the UK would be Israel is committing genocide and Hamas are also war criminals. In a perfect world the Israeli government and Hamas would meet in The Hague.

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 2d

Second home owners should be furious with Farage for putting them in this position. It is entirely down to him, his lies and his gaslighting and of course he doesn't have this issue as he is a Belgium Resident (he certainly isn't a Clacton one).

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Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 3d

You can clearly see Brexit in this, and sadly rejoining the SM is the only actual fix for any of this, which is unfortunate all things considered.

Chris Gallon @chrisgallon.bsky.social · 3d

Have you seen what is happening in the USA? Largely responsible for this. The UK is not really an outlier.